Nov. 26, 2013

 Games 6-8: Illinois (4-1) at Cancun Challenge
 Tournament Dates	Thursday, Nov. 28-Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013 | Tournament Website
 Location	Cancun, Mexico | Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Convention Center 
 Game 1 Info	Illinois (4-1) vs. Arizona State (3-1) | Thursday, Nov. 28 | Noon CT
 Game 2 Info	Illinois vs. Arkansas State | Friday, Nov. 29 | 2:30 p.m. CT
 Game 3 Info	Illinois vs. #11 North Carolina | Saturday, Nov. 30 | 2:30 p.m. CT
 Watch (free)	UI-ASU | UI-ArkSt | UI-UNC
 Listen ($)	WDWS AM-1400 Champaign | UI-ASU | UI-ArkSt | UI-UNC
 Live Stats	UI-ASU | UI-ArkSt | UI-UNC
 Printable Game Notes	Illinois
 2013-14 Stats	Illinois | Arizona State | Arkansas State | North Carolina | Big Ten
 Social Media	@IlliniWBB   |  #Illini   |  Facebook  | YouTube

Illinois is...
...off to its best start since 2009-10, when UI started 7-1
...looking for its fifth-straight win
...playing in the Cancun Challenge for the second time
...9th in the nation in scoring, averaging 92.4 points per game
...facing Arizona State and Arkansas State each for the second time in school history
...leading the Big Ten in scoring, scoring margin (+32.8), steals (15.0 pg), turnover margin (+10.6) & 3s (8.8 pg)

Quick Hits
•Illini Scoring with the Best of Them: The Illini are averaging a blistering 92.4 points per game after coming within one point of tying the school record for single-game scoring in a 112-28 win over Alcorn State on Nov. 17. Illinois has scored 87-plus points in four of five games this season and has topped 90 three times. The Orange and Blue's four-game total of 462 points is the best in the first five games of any season in school history and is the second-best five-game span in the 40 years of Illini women's basketball. Only a stretch from Nov. 28-Dec. 12, 1981, was better, as UI scored 468 in that span. Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks ninth nationally in scoring through games of Nov. 21.

•Fearsome Foursome Leads the Way: Senior guard/forward Amber Moore was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 18 after averaging 25.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game in three Illini wins the previous week. She dominated against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 14, scoring 27 and pulling down a career-high 19 rebounds, scored 23 and hauled in seven boards against Valparaiso on Nov. 12, and capped the week with a 25-point performance in only 23 minutes against Alcorn State on Nov. 21. It was Moore's first career weekly honor.

•Records Fall Against Alcorn State: Illinois broke the school record for margin of victory with its 84-point win over Alcorn State on Nov. 17, and the Lady Braves' 10-point second-half output also broke the State Farm Center mark for fewest points in a half. ASU's 15.21 field-goal percentage was the worst by an Illini opponent in school history and the Braves' seven field goals were the second-fewest by an Illini opponent.

•Moore the All-Time Three-Point Leader: With four treys on Nov. 12, Amber Moore broke the school record for career three-point field goals made. Moore now sits in first place with 233 career treys, surpassing Lori Bjork's 214. Last year, Moore broke school records for three-pointers made in a season and three-pointers attempted in a season and a career. She is currently averaging 5.2 treys per game and hitting them at a 44.8 percent clip, well above her career 34.6 percentage heading into this season.

•Starters Carry Scoring Load: Four of Illinois' starting five are averaging at least 13.6 points per game. In this impressive five-game stretch where the squad is averaging 92.4 points per game, the starters are scoring 70.3% of the points.

•Fearsome Foursome Leads the Way: Illinois' top three scorers - Amber Moore, Ivory Crawford and Jacqui Grant - all have registered double figures in each of the Illini's first five games, and Sarah Hartwell had four consecutive double-digit games before tallying nine against Southern Illinois on Nov. 21. Moore ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring average (22.0 ppg) and leads the league in total points (110). She also leads the Big Ten in three-pointers made per game at 5.2. The next best is Purdue's KK Houser at 3.0 per game. Crawford is tied for 12th in the league in scoring average (15.0), Grant is 16th (14.4), Hartwell is 22nd (13.6), meaning Illinois is the only conference team with four players in the top 22 in scoring.

•Crawford Producing Consistently: While she may be overshadowed by Amber Moore's blisteringly hot start to the season, Ivory Crawford has been a consistent presence for the Illini. The junior guard is averaging 15.0 points per game and has scored in double digits in all five contests, with a season high of 24 against Bradley on Nov. 8. She also is averaging 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.0 steals in 26.6 minutes per game.

•Grant Will Not Surrender: Freshman forward Jacqui Grant has started her Illini career on a strong note, averaging 14.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game over the first five, including a double-double in the season-opener against Bradley. The Park Ridge, Ill., native scored 12 points and pulled down 14 boards, including 10 offensive rebounds, in 27 minutes against the Braves. Her 10 offensive boards are tied for fourth in school history. Grant is replacing Karisma Penn in the middle, who finished second in school history with 42 career double-doubles and had 14 last season.

Scouting the Sun Devils
•Arizona State is 3-1 heading into the Cancun Challenge on a two-game win streak. The Sun Devils beat Texas Tech in Lubbock on Nov. 17, snapping the Red Raiders' 50-game home non-conference winning streak, then took down Providence 86-65 on Nov. 23. ASU beat Hawaii 84-44 in its season-opener before falling at San Diego, 61-53.

•ASU is led by senior guard Deja Mann, who is averaging 13.8 pionts per game and is shooting 51.4 percent from the floor. Senior guard Adrianne Thomas is just behind Mann with 11.5 points per game and is 23-of-26 from the free-throw line.

•The Sun Devils like to shoot from long range, averaging 5.3 made three-pointers per game in their first four contests. They also average 9.8 steals and have a +5.5 rebounding margin.

Scouting the Red Wolves
•Arkansas State is 3-1 with wins over Missouri State, Austin Peay, and Kent State, and a 75-66 loss to UT Martin, which Illinois faces on Dec. 21.

•The Red Wolves are led by sophomore guard Aundrea Gamble, who is averaging 21.0 points per game on 63 percent field-goal shooting. Gamble also leads the team with 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

•ASU is averaging 79.0 points per game and has an average turnover margin of +4.5. Furthermore, the Red Wolves are +1.3 on the glass and are shooting 28.2 percent from three-point range.

Scouting the Tar Heels
•No. 11 North Carolina, a perennial women's basketball power, is off to a 4-1 start with the only blemish an 81-65 loss against No. 4 Tennessee on Nov. 11. The Heels have beaten Air Force, UCLA, Coastal Carolina, and Coppin State.

•UNC is averaging 85.4 points per game and is led by freshman guard Allisha Gray, who was the No. 7 player in the nation in last year's signing class, according to ESPN HoopGurlz. Gray is averaging 18.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in 23.3 minutes per game off the bench.

•Four UNC regulars average double figures and the Heels have an average scoring margin of +29.8. UNC collects 14.4 steals per game and has a +7.6 turnover margin. The Tar Heels also average 5.8 blocks per game and have nine players 6-feet or taller.

Series History Against Arizona State
Arizona State won the only meeting with Illinois in the schools' histories, taking a 51-50 win in the 2011 San Juan Shootout.

Series History Against Arkansas State
Arkansas State won the only meeting with Illinois in the schools' histories, beating the Illini 95-89 in overtime in the 1996 UNLV Desert Classic.

Series History Against North Carolina
North Carolina is 4-0 all-time against the Orange and Blue, with all four meetings coming in preseason or postseason tournaments. UNC beat Illinois 94-72 in the 1988 Wahine Classic in Honolulu and took an 80-74 win in the Sweet 16 of the 1998 NCAA Tournament, ending the Illini's season in the regional semifinal for the second-straight season. The Heels took a 68-59 win in the 2008 Carolina Challenge in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and scored an 87-58 win in the 2010 Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Honolulu.