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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. The 19th-ranked Virginia women’s basketball team downed Illinois, 63-39, in the second annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Assembly Hall on Thursday night. Monica Wright led the Cavaliers with a career-high nine steals along with 23 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Also scoring in double figures for Virginia (6-2) was Ariana Moorer, who recorded her first career double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Aisha Mohammed added 12 points and five rebounds.
It was all Wright in the first half, as she had seven steals, 12 points and three assists in the first period. The Cavaliers used a 22-6 advantage in points in the paint and 12-0 advantage in fast break points to build a 40-14 halftime lead.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Illinois in the second half with 15:03 left cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 23 points at 47-24. The Fighting Illini (3-5) would get no closer and Virginia prevailed by a final score of 63-39.
Virginia improved to 2-0 all-time at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, having defeated Wisconsin, 84-60, last year in Charlottesville. In the all-time series with Illinois, Virginia improved to a perfect 4-0.
Up next for Virginia is a home contest against East Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 6. Tip-off from John Paul Jones Arena is 2 p.m.