Illinois outworks Colorado, advances to second round

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 21: Cearah Parchment #30 of the Illinois Fighting Illini drives towards the basket against Anaelle Dutat #15 of the Colorado Buffaloes in the first half during a first-round game of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Memorial Gym on March 21, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images) | Getty Images NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Illini earned gritty win in first round of March Madness.

Illinois didn’t try to be perfect Saturday night. They just found a way I the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In a game that stayed close longer than they probably wanted, the Illini made the plays late and pulled away from Colorado, 66-57, to move on to the second round.

It wasn’t a game where they dominated from start to finish, but they controlled most of it after the first quarter and didn’t let things slip when Colorado made their pushes. Every time it got tight, Illinois had an answer. Cearah Parchment really set the tone early and never slowed down.

The freshman came out aggressive, scoring nine points in the first quarter and helping Illinois take a 20-18 lead after one, including that buzzer-beater from Maddie Webber to close it. Parchment finished with 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting, and a lot of her buckets came from that mid-range area where she looked comfortable all night. With her 19th point of the game, Parchment also set the Illinois women’s basketball freshman scoring record, adding another milestone to an already big night.