Kylan Boswell scores 17 points as No. 17 Illinois defeats Northwestern
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Kylan Boswell scored 17 points and had six rebounds to lead No. 17 Illinois over Northwestern 83-74 on Sunday.
Morez Johnson Jr. had 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots, Ben Humrichous had 14 points, Kasparas Jakucionis had 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and Jake Davis added 11 points from the bench for Illinois (14-6, 6-4 Big Ten).
Nick Martinelli and Jalen Leach each scored 17 points Northwestern (12-8, 3-6), which trailed 43-21 at halftime. Ty Berry had 10 points.
Illinois, the No. 2 rebounding team in the country, dominated the boards 50-27 without leading rebounder Tomislav Ivisic, who missed his second straight game because of an illness. The Illini had 21 offensive rebounds.
Takeaways
Illinois: The Illini had lost two straight at home and didn't play well in either game. They avoided a third consecutive home loss, which hasn't happened since 2017, with the win, but they were outscored 53-40 in the second half. Illinois committed 13 turnovers in the game that led to 24 Northwestern points.
Northwestern: The Wildcats' dynamic duo of Nick Martinelli and Brooks Barnhizer average 37 points per game in Big Ten play. They were held to a combined 20 points, with Martinellli shooting 7 of 19 and Barnhizer 1 of 7. Barnhizer was hurting after taking a hard fall in Northwestern's last game.
Key moment
Illinois went on a 15-point run early in the first half to break a 5-5 tie and take a 20-5 lead. Northwestern didn't score for more than five minutes.
Key stat
Northwestern hasn't won in Champaign since 2013, losing nine straight games.
Up next
Illinois plays Thursday at Nebraska, while Northwestern hosts Rutgers on Wednesday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chicago Sky Make Historic Angel Reese Announcement During Sparks Game
Chicago Sky Make Historic Angel Reese Announcement During Sparks Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese has been one of the WNBA's most productive players since entering the league in the 2024 Draft. She scored 13.6 points as a rookie and contributed a WNBA-record 13.1 rebounds per game last season. Advertisement Reese earned All-Star and All-Rookie honors for her performance in 2024. She has followed that up with a strong start to her sophomore season, as she is averaging 11.7 points and a league-best 12.3 rebounds per game through 15 contests. In her last two performances, Reese has recorded 35 points, 35 rebounds and eight assists, becoming the first player in WNBA history to achieve these numbers in a two-game span (via Polymarket Hoops). Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5).Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images During Sunday's matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks, Reese was having another strong performance with 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists with five minutes still remaining in the contest. Advertisement After her 13th rebound in the game, the Sky announced that Reese moved into 10th place in the franchise's all-time leaderboard for rebounds. This achievement is so historic because Reese accomplished it in just her second WNBA season. "BOARD BARBIE 👑 ," the Sky wrote. "Angel Reese just entered the Chicago Sky's all-time top 10 for rebounds, and she's only in YEAR 2. anything off that board? yeah, it's HERS." Reese's moving into the 10th all-time in Sky rebounding is also an incredible accomplishment because Sunday marked just her 50th career game. This means she has averaged 12.9 rebounds per game in her career. Advertisement She surpassed Stefanie Dolson for the No. 10 spot, who played in 133 games across five seasons for the Sky (via Karli Bell). Related: WNBA Had Six Words for Angel Reese Play in Chicago Sky Game on Sunday Related: Chicago Sky Make Change After 11th Loss This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chicago Sky Coach Had Jokes About Angel Reese's Rebounding
Chicago Sky Coach Had Jokes About Angel Reese's Rebounding originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky have a 4-10 record entering Friday night's game against the Golden State Valkyries, but there have been signs of improvement in Tyler Marsh's first season as head coach. Advertisement Second-year forward Angel Reese has been one of the consistent bright spots for Chicago. Her performances have proven to be key in recent wins against the Connecticut Sun (11 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists) and the Los Angeles Sparks (18 points, 17 rebounds, six assists). On Friday, Marsh was asked about the spike in Reese's rebounding numbers. He answered with a joke that allowed him to call out his team and praise Reese at the same time. Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh (left) and forward Angel Reese (right).Kamil Krzaczynski, Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Reese's rebounding has been a standout trait since she entered the league. She led the WNBA with 13.1 rebounds per game during her rookie season in 2024 and is averaging 11.9 per game in 2025 — best in the league once again. Advertisement However, the rebounds have not been distributed evenly. Across her WNBA career, 38.4 percent of Reese's rebounds have come on the offensive end. That figure includes many putbacks on her misses, creating the "Mebounds" narrative that Reese has embraced and trademarked this season. In her last five games, the split of Reese's offensive rebounds is down to 19.7%, while she has grabbed 10 or more defensive boards in four of those games. But Marsh explained that the shift was not solely because of her growth on the defensive glass. 'I think she has made more of an effort to crash the defensive glass, but I also think that early on in the season, there weren't as many to be had because teams were shooting such a high percentage against us,' he admitted with a smile on his face. The Sky rank last in the WNBA in opponent field goal percentage (46.3) and opponent 3-point percentage (39.9) by wide margins. Advertisement "I think we've done a little better job of that the last couple games, which has allowed more opportunities for defensive rebounds," Marsh continued in a more serious tone. "But (Reese) certainly has been more persistent in going to attack those." Related: Fans Concerned for Angel Reese Amid Troubling Chicago Sky Allegations Related: Angel Reese Makes Kamilla Cardoso Admission After Sky-Sparks This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Angel Reese's Coach Blames 'Self-Inflicted Wounds' for Chicago Sky Loss
Angel Reese's Coach Blames 'Self-Inflicted Wounds' for Chicago Sky Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports. While it seemed like the Chicago Sky were finally starting to click — beating the Connecticut Sun during Sunday's game behind Angel Reese's triple-double — they returned to their bad habits and suffered another loss on Tuesday. Advertisement Against the Washington Mystics, the Sky blew a 16-point lead and ended up losing 79-72. Reese had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, but she also committed seven turnovers. Kamilla Cardoso also finished with a double-double, tallying 18 points and 10 boards, while Ariel Atkins scored 10. However, the Sky had no answer for Brittney Sykes, who exploded for 32 points for the Mystics. Chicago appeared to be en route to a blowout win after taking a 26-11 lead in the opening quarter, but a horrible second half, highlighted by a 12-point showing in the third quarter, doomed them. Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Lee-Imagn Images Speaking to reporters postgame, Sky coach Tyler Marsh talked about their third-quarter performance and pointed to "self-inflicted wounds" as the biggest reason for their poor play. Advertisement Chicago had nine turnovers during the period and attempted just 12 shots as a team. "They extended their pressure and we didn't handle it well," Marsh said of the third quarter, per reporter Karli Bell. "It really comes down to that." He added, "Throughout and after the game, a lot of our mistakes are on us. You can still maintain confidence that a lot of it has to deal with self-inflicted wounds." It's certainly a concerning display from the Sky. Making matters worse, it has been a common theme for the squad this season. The Sky are the worst offensive WNBA team in the third quarter this 2025. In 11 games played, they are averaging only 17.7 points in that quarter. Advertisement While Chicago showed some progress in their previous game against the Sun — where they dropped 21 points in the third quarter — the loss to the Mystics made it clear they still have a lot of work to do to solve the issue. Related: Angel Reese's Teammate Shows Bus Video of Chicago Sky Star After Triple-Double Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
