Illinois falls to No. 2 Vanderbilt in Round of 32
A rough start would end up leading to the Illini’s defeat
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 23: Destiny Jackson #2 and Berry Wallace #23 of Illinois Fighting Illini battle for the ball against Sacha Washington #35 of the Vanderbilt Commodores in the first half during a second round game of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Memorial Gym on March 23, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Carly Mackler/Getty Images) | Getty Images NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Not the result you hope for, but nonetheless, what a season from Illinois.
The orange and blue showed a lot of heart on Monday night in Nashville. After a slow start out of the gate, the Illini were pesky and took what they could get against the No. 2 seed Vanderbilt Commodores.
Ultimately, the task was too heavy for them, though, as they would fall 75-57 in the Round of 32. The Illini (22-12) knew going into Monday’s contest that they would have to play an almost perfect game to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, and with a lot of costly mistakes early, that dream of a trip to the second weekend slipped away. With the Illini already down six in the first quarter, the engine needing to get started, however, the Commodores’ (29-4) defense came ready to play.
While Destiny Jackson was trying to start up the Illini offense, Aiyana Mitchell came streaking in to deflect Jackson’s errant pass. The turnover would be one of seven that Jackson would commit, an uncharacteristic performance for the freshman. It didn’t help the Illini’s case that Mikayla Blakes of Vanderbilt wouldn’t let up on either side of the court.
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