Illinois Fighting Illini women’s basketball opened their NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament run with a solid 66–57 win over Colorado Buffaloes women’s basketball, controlling the game for most of the night after the first quarter.
The Illini leaned heavily on their standout freshmen. Cearah Parchment led all scorers with 21 points on highly efficient shooting while also contributing across the board. Destiny Jackson recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, adding strong playmaking and defense.
Berry Wallace chipped in 18 points and made key plays throughout the game, while Maddie Webber provided a spark off the bench, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the first quarter.
Illinois’ defense played a major role, limiting Colorado’s scoring during key stretches and maintaining control through the second half. Even when Colorado made small runs, the Illini consistently responded to hold their lead.
With the win, Illinois secured back-to-back NCAA Tournament victories for the first time in over two decades. They now advance to face Vanderbilt Commodores women’s basketball in the second round.
