2020-21 ILLINI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES FIGHTINGILLINI.COM @IlliniWBB @IlliniWBB facebook.com/IlliniWBasketball #ILLINI @IlliniAthletics @IlliniAthletics facebook.com/IlliniAthletics Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021 // 6 p.m. CT // Big Ten Network+ ILLINI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MEDIA BOX Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center (15,554) The Illini women’s basketball media box will be updated with information and assets throughout the course of the 2020-21 season. To access the content, including photos, video, and media zoom recordings, visit: uofi.box.com/v/2020-21WBBMedia Pos. No. Name Ht. Yr. GP/GS PPG RPG Other Notes G 0 J-Naya Ephraim 5-9 JR 18/12 5.1 2.4 2.1 ast/gm Tied career high with 11 points at Neb. (12/10) F 1 Nancy Panagiotopoulou 6-3 R-JR 12/0 0.0 0.5 1 blk Recorded first-career block vs. Ohio State (1/7) ILLINOIS (3-15, 1-14 B1G) RV/25 NORTHWESTERN (12-5, 10-5 B1G) F 2 Lyric Robins 5-11 SR 17/1 1.6 1.7 11 steals Career-high 3 steals at Minnesota (2/10) F 3 Solape Amusan 6-1 SO 17/0 3.6 1.6 8 3FGM 10 points at Minn. (2/10/21), 3rd game w/ 10+ points G 10 Jeanae Terry 5-11 SO 18/18 11.6 8.2 4.2 ast/gm Career-high 10 assists at Minn. (2/10) TELEVISION | Big Ten Network+ G 11 Jada Peebles 5-10 SO 18/18 11.7 2.0 26 3FGM Career-high 21 points (5 3 FGM) at Minn. (2/10) » Scott Sudikoff (play-by-play) & Scott Beatty (analyst) G 13 Tara O’Malley 5-6 JR 5/0 0.4 0.2 1 steal Scored first-career points, two free-throws, vs. Iowa » btnplus.com F/C 14 Geovana Lopes 6-3 JR 10/1 3.2 3.0 4 steals Career-high tying 6 rebounds at No. 9 Maryland (2/17) F 20 Erika Porter 6-3 FR 12/2 1.6 1.7 6-13 FGs N.J. native posted 3 PTS, 3 REB at Rutgers (2/20) RADIO | Fighting Illini Sports Network G 21 Aaliyah McQueen 5-9 FR 14/0 2.3 2.8 8 steals 7 points, 2 steals at No. 9 Maryland (2/17) » Mike Koon (play-by-play) C 22 Eva Rubin 6-5 R-JR 17/15 7.1 3.4 20 blocks 3 BLKs, career-high 4 FTs vs. No. 15 Indiana (2/14) » WDWS 1400-AM / FightingIllini.com/watch G 32 Aaliyah Nye 5-11 FR 13/5 7.7 2.4 19 3FGM Avg. 11.3 P/4.7 R in last 4 (vs. #15 IND, #9 MD, RUT) F 44 Kennedi Myles 6-2 SO 18/18 8.7 7.4 25 steals Season-high-tying 14 rebs vs. No. 15 Indiana (2/14) LIVE STATS Bold indicates previous game’s starter. » FightingIllini.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary HEAD COACHES ILLINOIS: Nancy Fahey // 33-78 at Illinois (4th year) // 770-209 overall (35th year) ILLINOIS SCHEDULE NORTHWESTERN: Joe McKeown // 220-182 at Northwestern (13th year) // 729-356 overall (35th year) Date ..........Opponent .............Time/Score SERIES VS. NORTHWESTERN Nov. 25 ........Indiana State + ..........W, 68-49 Series Record: Northwestern leads, 46-34 Last Meeting: No. 21/22 Northwestern 73, Illinois 54 // Jan. 21, 2021 // Evanston, Illinois Dec. 2 . Valparaiso + .............L, 59-62 Series Streak: Northwestern, W11 Dec. 6 . Omaha + ...............W, 53-50 in Champaign: Northwestern leads, 20-18 in Evanston: Northwestern leads, 24-13 Dec. 10........at Nebraska * # ...........L, 72-78 Neutral Site: Illinois leads, 3-2 Dec. 19 . .19/19 Michigan * # ......Postponed Fahey vs Northwestern: 0-7 Dec. 22 . .Southern Illinois + ......Postponed Dec. 31........at 20/18 Indiana * + . .L, 79-56 • OPENING TIP: Illinois (3-15, 1-14 B1G) returns home to State Farm Center to host (RV/25) Northwestern (12-5, 10-5 B1G) Jan. 3 .........RV/RV Iowa * + ..........L, 68-107 on Wednesday evening. Tipoff between the Illini and the Wildcats is set for 6 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+ with Scott Sudikoff (play-by-play) and Scott Beatty (analyst). Mike Koon will call the action for the Illini on Jan. 7 .........16/16 Ohio State * # .......L, 55-78 WDWS 1400 AM. Streaming audio and live stats are also available at FightingIllini.com. Jan. 10 ........at 15/14 Michigan * + ......L, 50-70 • ABOUT NORTHWESTERN: Northwestern enters Wednesday’s game with a 12-5 overall record, including 10-5 mark in Big Jan. 14 ........RV/RV Michigan State * + ..Postponed Ten play. The Wildcats are 1-2 in their last three games with a 54-70 home loss to Rutgers (Feb. 11), a 71-64 setback Jan. 21 ........at 21/22 Northwestern * +...L, 54-73 to Nebraska (Feb. 17) in Evanston, and a 67-54 home win over Wisconsin (Feb. 20). Junior G Veronica Burton paces the Jan. 25 ........--/RV Nebraska * # ........L, 53-57 Wildcats’ offensive attack at 16.5 points per game. Burton is one of three NU players averaging double-figures scoring alongside senior G Lindsay Pulliam (16.2 ppg) and junior G/F Sydney Wood (13.1 ppg). Junior F Courtney Shaw is the Jan. 28 ........Penn State * +............L, 76-80 team’s top rebounder at 7.1 boards per contest, just ahead of Wood (5.3 rpg). The Wildcats average 71.2 points per game, Jan. 31 ........at Wisconsin * + ..........L, 57-69 while holding opponents to 61.9 per contest. Northwestern ranks among the NCAA top-10 in several statistical categories, Feb. 4 .........at Michigan State * # . L, 60-81 including No. 1 turnover margin (+10.29), No. 5 in steals per game (12.6), No. 7 in assist-to-tunover ratio (1.41), No. 8 in Feb. 7 .........Purdue * +..............W, 54-49 turnovers per game (11.5), and No. 8 in turnovers forced per game (21.76). Feb. 10 ........at Minnesota * + ..........L, 73-83 • SERIES VS. NORTHWESTERN: Wednesday’s matchup is the 81st in the series between the Illini and the Wildcats. Northwestern Feb. 14 ........15/14 Indiana * + .........L, 50-58 leads the all-time series, 46-34, including a slim 20-18 advantage in games played in Champaign. The Illini are looking to Feb. 17 ........at 9/10 Maryland * # ......L, 58-103 snap an 11-game losing streak in the series. Illinois’ last win in the series came Jan. 15, 2014, a 76-74 win in Evanston. Illinois’ last home win in the series came Feb. 20, 2012 (69-57), with NU winning the last six matchups in Champaign. Feb. 20 ........at RV/RV Rutgers * # .......L, 46-75 Feb. 24 ........RV/25 Northwestern * + ...6 p.m. CT • LAST TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN: Illinois fell to No. 21 Northwestern, 73-54, on Jan. 21 at Welsh-Ryan Arena, despite strong Feb. 28 ........at Purdue * + ............1 p.m. CT showings from sophomores Kennedi Myles and Jeanae Terry. The duo posted a pair of double-digit scoring games – 16 point for Myles and 11 for Terry – and each pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds. But first-half scoring struggles plagued March 5 or 6....Minnesota * ................TBD the Illini, who ultimately stormed back into the game with 9-0 mid-third-quarter scoring. The run pulled the Illini to within March 9-13 .....Big Ten Tournament ...........TBA 39-30 before the Wildcats pulled away for the win. Lindsey Pulliam (28 points), Veronica Burton (15) and Sydney Woods (10) all scored in double-figures for the Wildcats. * Big Ten Conference game + Streamed on Big Ten Network + • UP NEXT: The Fighting Illini make the short trek to West Lafayette, Ind., for their final road contest of the season at Purdue # Televised on Big Ten Network on Sunday. Tipoff between the Illini and the Boilermakers (6-13, 3-12 B1G) - who host No. 9 Maryland on Thursday - is set Home games in BOLD for 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT at Mackey Arena. The game will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+. Mike Koon will call the action All times Central and subject to change for the Illini on WDWS 1400 AM. Streaming audio and live stats are also available at FightingIllini.com. 1 // FIGHTINGILLINI.COM // @ILLINIWBB // #ILLINI 2020-21 ILLINI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL • THE FAHEY ERA CONTINUES: The Illini enter their fourth season under the direction of head coach Nancy Fahey in 2020-21. QUICK FACTS > In Fahey’s first season, she led the Illini to a 9-5 non-conference record, which marked the best start to the season since Illinois also earned nine non-conference victories in the 2014-15 campaign (9-3). Illinois won four of its last five games UNIVERSITY INFORMATION leading up to league play, with the streak marking the most consecutive victories for the program since the start of the 2015- 16 season. Junior Alex Wittinger garnered All-Big Ten Second Team, and also matched the school record for single-season Location ��������������������������������������������Urbana-Champaign, Ill. offensive rebounds (125). Wittinger earned the program’s second-ever triple double during the 2017-18 campaign, and set a Enrollment. 52,331 new single-game record for blocked shots (11). Nickname . Fighting Illini > In her second season at the helm of the Illini, Fahey’s squad opened the year with a 7-0 record on Lou Henson Court for the Founded ������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1867 first time since the 2006-07 season. The Illini opened the 2018-19 campaign with at 8-3 (.727) in non-conference play, the Colors �������������������������������������������������������������� Orange & Blue best for an Illini squad since starting the 2014-15 campaign with a 9-5 non-conference record (.750).