BLOOMINGTON — Indiana women’s basketball got tripped up at Assembly Hall on Thursday night in a disappointing 68-54 loss to Illinois.

The Hoosiers trailed by as many as 15 points in the first quarter, but even as they turned up their intensity to cut into the Fighting Illini’s lead, their efforts fell short. Indiana suffered a 54-68 loss to Illinois on Thursday inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.

Indiana had an opportunity to move up the NCAA pecking order last week when it hosted games against Illinois and No. 4 Southern California.

The IU women ended a three-game skid with a win at Washington, putting the Hoosiers 'back on track' and adding to their March Madness resume.

Led by third-year head coach Shauna Green, Illinois sits at 12-4 and 2-3 in conference play. The Fighting Illini are coming off a 5-point victory over then-No. 23 Iowa on Jan. 9 inside the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.

Yarden Garzon surpassed her season average by halftime, and reached 1,000 career points in the third quarter en route to a career high in a win at Washington.

Indiana women’s basketball secured a split record in its trip to the Pacific Northwest with a 73-70 win over Washington on Monday night. It’s a more than welcome result after the Hoosiers’ disappointing finish against Oregon in Eugene for multiple reasons.