5 huge observations from the Illinois basketball win over Oregon State

3. Oregon State couldn’t stop the Illini mid-range game

In the game of basketball, there are a lot of ways to score. Two of the main methods of scoring are down low around the hoop and from the three-point arc. That is what basketball has become today.

Illinois bucks that trend. While we do take three-pointers and can get the ball in the paint, the Illini are killing teams from the mid-range right now. Oregon State felt that wrath on Friday night.

The mid-range game for the Illini was incredible. This is where most of the Illini points were coming from.

Kendall Bostic had her mid-range game going early and often. She was hitting from the baseline but would also get out on the elbow of the paint and knock down shots.

I am always impressed with Brynn Shoup-Hill’s ability to shoot the ball. She has a buttery touch from around 12 feet. With her size at 6-foot-3, the Goshen, Indiana, native is nearly unstoppable.

Illinois’ backcourt also had a great game from the mid-range. Makira Cook cooled down from three-point range after her hot start, but she managed to go inside the three-point arc and started to light up the world. She finished 6-of-7 from two-point range.

I honestly felt like I was watching 1990s basketball again. Illinois can do flashy things like hit three-pointers and feed the ball in the post, but the mid-range is a lost art.