INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Aaliyah Nye scored a career-high 17 points, Kennedi Myles had a double-double and 12th-seeded Illinois defeated No. 13-seed Wisconsin in the first game of the Big Ten Conference tournament on Tuesday.
Myles had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Jeanae Terry had 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals for the Illini (5-17). who ended a six-game losing streak.
Illinois meets fifth-seeded Northwestern in the second round on Wednesday.
Sydney Hilliard and Imani Lewis both had 11 points for the Badgers (5-19), who end on a five-game losing streak. Lewis also grabbed 11 rebounds for her 12th double-double.
After the game, Wisconsin fired coach Jonathan Tsipis.
“I appreciate Coach Tsipis’s efforts during his five years with us, but we feel it is time for a new direction for our women’s basketball program,” Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez said. “I wish Jonathan the best as he moves forward.”
Illinois scored the first 17 points of the game and led 24-2 after one quarter as Nye closed it out with two of her four 3-pointers. The Badgers were 0 for 18 from the field.
Wisconsin scored its first field goal at 7:52 of the second quarter and scored the first nine points but the Badgers missed their last 10 shots of the half and trailed 32-12.
Wisconsin, which won the regular-season meeting 69-57, was 0 for 7 from 3-point range and shot 12% (4 of 33) in the first half. The Badgers finished 1 of 13 behind the arc and 16 of 64 overall. Illinois was 8 of 25 from distance and 24 of 60 from the field.
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