THE BASICS
The Coaches
Illinois: Matt Bollant // 47-52 at Illinois (4th year) // 329-107 overall (14th year)
Lehigh: Sue Troyan // 324-274 at Lehigh (21st year) // 324-274 overall (21st year)
Series Notes vs. Lehigh
Series Record: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
Series Streak: N/A
Series in Champaign: 0-0
Series Streak at Lehigh: 0-0
Bollant vs. Lehigh: 0-0
Illinois is...
...beginning its fourth season under head coach Matt Bollant
...playing in the renovated State Farm Center for the first time
...4-0 at home this season
...holding opponents to just 22-percent shooting from distance (1st in the B1G)
...hosting a Teddy Bear Toss at halftime
QUICK HITS
• SUNDAY'S GAME: Sunday's contest will mark the first meeting in program history for Lehigh and Illinois. The game will be live streamed on FIGHTINGILLINI.com, and also air on WDWS-AM 1400.
• LAST TIME OUT: The Illini dropped a tough contest at Miami on Wednesday, falling 73-64 to the Hurricanes. Illinois led for most of the game, thanks to a major effort from freshman Cierra Rice. Rice put up a career-best 22 points in the game, good for her second 20-point game of the season. The Illini allowed just four three-pointers from Miami, however the Hurricanes used two of those treys to take the final lead in the game.
• SCOUTING LEHIGH: The Mountain Hawks visit Champaign after a close loss to Saint Joseph's. Lehigh is 6-2 on the season, winning its first six games in a row. The team boasts wins over Monmouth, Delaware State, NJIT and Montana, among others. Lehigh is led by junior Lexi Martins who averages more than 17 points and 15 rebounds per game. Senior Kerry Kinek is also a major contributor, putting up 15.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
• COMING UP: The Orange and Blue have a quick turnaround this week, welcoming Southern Illinois on Tuesday, Dec. 8. The game will be one of this year's 2-For-Tuesdays as Fans who purchase tickets for the Southern Illinois (12/8) and South Dakota (12/22) contests will get one free ticket for each ticket purchased.
FOR THE FANS
The Illini will join forces with the Illini Blue Crew to host a Teddy Bear Toss at Sunday's game. Fans are encouraged to bring a new, stuffed toy or teddy bear to the game, which can then be tossed onto the court after the halftime announcement. Blue Crew will collect the bears and donate them to Toys for Tots and the Crisis Nursery. Fans purchasing tickets at the door will receive $3 admission with a new, stuffed toy in hand. The Ticket Office will open at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, and doors to the State Farm Center will open at 1 p.m. Fans can enter through the Main West and Main East entrances, students are encouraged to enter through the west side.
TOTAL DOMINATION
Illinois earned a 98-43 victory over Tennessee State on Nov. 24, closing out the team's slate at Parkland College. The 55-point victory marks the fourth largest margin of victory for an Illini team in program history. It marks the second-largest margin of victory in a home contest for an Illini team.
With 98 points against TSU, Illinois recorded two consecutive 90-point games this season. The last time an Illinois team scored 90 or more points in back-to-back games was in the 2013-14 season, putting up 93 points against Mississippi State on Nov. 14 and 112 against Alcorn State on Nov. 17.
THE ROARING TWENTIES
Illinois saw three players score at least 20 points against UT Martin as freshmen Cierra Rice and Alex Wittinger each put up double-figure scoring numbers for the first time in their careers. Wittinger (20), Rice (21) and Chatrice White (26) combined for 67 of Illinois' 94 points in the game. The last time three Illini scored 20 or more points was UI's 95-69 win over Minnesota on Feb. 5, 2015. Wittinger also grabbed 11 rebounds in the contest, marking her first-ever double-double.
Cierra Rice continued to rack up the points, dropping 22 at Miami on Dec. 2. Rice is one of just three freshmen in Illinois history, dating back to 1980, to put up 20 or more points twice within the first five games of her career. Also on that list is sophomore Chatrice White, who scored 20 or more points in six games last season. Krista Reinking (1994-95) rounds out the total list. Reinking has four 20+ points games in her freshman season.
TOP OF THE LINE
Illinois' hot start has paid off as the Illini are ranked among the nation's best in several categories this season.
Category National Rank B1G rank
Defensive Rebounds - 31 per game 25th 2nd
FG Percentage Defense - 33.3 24th 2nd
3FG Percentage Defense - 22.0 11th 1st
3FG Made per game - 8.2 29th 2nd
Scoring Margin - 21.2 23rd 4th
DOUBLING UP
Six Illini reached double-figure scoring numbers against Tennessee State, including Kennedy Cattenhead and Brooke Kissinger who set new personal-bests. The last time Illinois saw six or more players reach double-figure scoring numbers was on Nov. 17, 2013 against Alcorn State. Seven players put up double-digits in that 112-28 victory.
IN GOOD COMPANY
Sophomore Chatrice White has started the season on high note, recording back-to-back double-doubles in UI's first two games and following that with consecutive 20-point games. White put up 13 pts. and 13 rbs. against Chicago State and followed up with 22 pts and 13 rbs against Ohio. Last season she started the year with double-doubles in three of the first four games. White has eight career double-doubles.
• The last Illini to start the season with consecutive double-doubles was Karisma Penn in the 2012-13 season (11 pts., 12 rbs. vs. Evansville; 29 pts., 16 rbs. vs. Bradley). Penn also recorded a double-double in three of the first four games of the year.
• Prior to Penn, Jenna Smith started the 2009-10 season out with four-straight double-doubles, and continued on to record a double-double in six of the first seven games.
TOP 10 WINNINGEST
Now in his 13th season of head coaching, Matt Bollant currently boasts a .754 winning percentage. That number puts him 10th among all active head coaches in the country.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Cierra Rice earned Big Ten weekly honors on Monday, Nov. 23, as she was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week. Rice was coming off of a 20-point performance against UT Martin over the weekend, helping the Illini to a 94-74 win. Rice went 6-for-6 from the field against UT Martin, banking three triples on the day. She had a 6-for-7 performance from the charity stripe as well. The Grosse Pointe, Mich., native scored 21 points, dished five assists and grabbed five rebounds in the game, only tallying one turnover.
STARTING STRONG
The Illini have seen some early success this season, starting off with a 4-0 record for the second consecutive year under head coach Matt Bollant. Not only that, but Illinois recorded its second 30-point season-opening victory during Bollant's tenure with a 67-36 win over Chicago State. The win marks the largest margin of victory for the Illini since earning an 86-42 win over Southern Illinois on Dec. 6, 2014. The Illini have now earned three 20-point victories this season.
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
With only two starters returning this season, the Illini have a few new faces in the starting lineup. Redshirt senior Kyley Simmons and sophomore Chatrice White are returning for a second year, but they are joined by first-time starters Sarah Hartwell, Kennedy Cattenhead and Cierra Rice. Three of the five starting Illini are underclassmen, while three of the five are also first-time starters.
A PROMISING FUTURE
The Illini are headed into the 2015-16 season with a positive outlook on things to come. The team returns starters Chatrice White and Kyley Simmons, and also brings back experienced returners in Kennedy Cattenhead, Sarah Hartwell, Brooke Kissinger and Ashley McConnell. Several Illini newcomers bring major promise, as Simone Law and Eriel Davis each have Division I playing experience under their belts. Illini freshmen Cierra Rice, Jaelyne Kirkpatrick and Alex Wittinger are a decorated incoming class as they are each ranked among the top-5 recruits in their home state.
ILLINI CRUISE PAST GREYHOUNDS IN EXHIBITION
Fighting Illini Women's Basketball started its season on a high note Saturday afternoon, tallying a 95-36 exhibition win over the University of Indianapolis at Parkland College. The Orange and Blue saw all nine players on the floor put up at least three points in the game, and the Illini assisted on 20 of 35 field goals in the contest. Illinois out rebounded the Greyhounds 38-26 and held UIndy to just under 23-percent shooting in the game. The Illini dropped 13 three-pointers in the contest, while shooting over 54-percent from the floor.
WHITE RETURNS FOR SUPER SOPHOMORE SEASON
Returning for her sophomore season, Chatrice White, expects no sophomore slump. She closed out the 2014-15 season averaging 14.5 points per game and a team-leading 7.0 rebounds per contest. She owns the Illinois freshman records for scoring and blocked shots as she led the team with 60 rejections.
ILLINI LOOKING FOR NEW CONTRIBUTORS
The Illini will have a few holes to fill in the absence of recent graduates Ivory Crawford and Brittany Carter. The two combined for an average of 23.6 points per game, and Carter led the team in steals, closing the season with 80. Crawford grabbed 64 steals herself last season, helping the Illini to a league-leading 11.2 steals per game.
NEWCOMERS
The Illini welcome a decorated class of freshman this year, including Parade All-American Cierra Rice, who was ranked as the No. 1 player out of Michigan. Ranked at No. 5 in the state of Minnesota, Alex Wittinger also joins the Illini this year. She grabbed 21 rebounds in her first outing with the Illini, an exhibition matchup against the AMW All Stars in Paris, France. Coming off of a stint with the Canadian National team, Jaelyne Kirkpatrick joins the Illini this season. She was ranked as the No. 1 guard in Canada.
The Illini also welcome some experience to the program this year in seniors Eriel Davis and Simone Law. Law comes to Illinois from Loyola-Chicago, where she earned First Team All-Horizon League honors and was twice named to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team. Davis, a native of Danville, returns to the Illini squad after two seasons. She was a member of the 2012-13 squad and assisted the team as a practice player prior to that.
ILLINI WELCOME JODY MARTINEZ
Head coach Matt Bollant announced the addition of Jody Martinez to the Illini staff over the summer. Martinez brings 17 years of head coaching experience with him, and he has led his teams to more than 400 wins in his head-coaching career. Martinez comes to Illinois from Southeastern University, where he led the Fire to a 25-7 record in the 2014-15 season and guided the program to its first-ever NAIA Division II Women's Basketball NIT. Prior to his stint at Southeastern, Martinez served as the head coach for the Bethel Pilots, where he led the Lady Pilots to 20 or more wins in 15 of his 16 seasons at the helm of the program, and prior to his arrival in 1998, the program had never seen a winning season. Martinez guided the Lady Pilots to six NCCAA National Championship titles and made seven trips to the NAIA National Tournament including five elite eight appearances. His teams won three MCC regular season titles and an MCC tournament championship as well.
ILLINI MAKE WAVES ON A NATIONAL STAGE
Illini sophomore Chatrice White and freshman Jaelyne Kirkpatrick were busy over the summer, competing at the FIBA U19 World Championships. Kirkpatrick competed for Canada, while White helped to bring home the gold on team USA. White averaged five points per game while in Russia, playing in seven games throughout the tournament.
TOUR DE FRANCE
The Illini packed in some extra practice over the summer, heading overseas to play a few games in France. The Illini faced off against Paris' professional team, the AMW All Stars, and also played two games against Bretigny Select. Freshmen Alex Wittinger, Jaelyne Kirkpatrick and Cierra Rice got a taste of competition, as they competed with their new teammates for the first time.
While across the pond, the Illini got to take some time to see the sights. Tour stops included the Eiffel Tower, Monaco, Lyon, and Nice.
A NEW HOME
After the 2013-14 season, the Fighting Illini had to vacate their home arena, State Farm Center, as the three-year, $169.5 million Illinois Renaissance renovation project began. The renovation includes the installation of premium seating, upgrades to team locker rooms, all concourses, concession and restroom facilities, and wider aisles and increased access for patrons with disabilities. In addition, air conditioning will be installed and grand entrances will be constructed on the arena's east and west sides. While most of the first year of construction's work was mechanical and infrastructure-related, fans will notice new, blue seats in the 200 level, which was formerly known as "C" section.
ILLINI INK FOUR FOR 2016
The Fighting Illini Women's Basketball program and head coach Matt Bollant announce the signing of four standout players to national letters of intent on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Ali Andrews (Lake in the Hills, Ill.), Brandi Beasley (Memphis, Tenn.), Courtney Joens (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Sarah Overcash (Chevy Chase, Md.) will join the Illini for the 2016-17 season.
Ali Andrews // 6-2 // F // Lake in the Hills, Ill. // Huntley HS
Ranked the No. 14 forward in the country and No. 1 in Illinois by ESPN HoopGurlz…Ranked as the No. 79 recruit in the nation…Class 4A All-State Team…Helped Huntley to two-straight Fox Valley Conference Valley Division titles…Has scored more than 1,800 points in her high school career so far…Daily Herald Fox Valley All-Area Team Co-Captain…Associated Press First Team All-State selection…Has earned Huntley three consecutive regional titles and two straight sectional titles.
Brandi Beasley // 5-6 // G // Memphis, Tenn. // Ridgeway HS
Stands as the No. 2-ranked recruit from the state of Tennessee and the No. 27-ranked point guard in the nation by ESPN HoopGurlz…AAA Miss Basketball Finalist…Chose Illinois over Florida, MTSU, UT Martin, Vanderbilt and Memphis…Plans to study engineering at Illinois.
Courtney Joens // 5-10 // G // Iowa City, Iowa // City High
Achievements: Ranked the No. 27 point guard in the country by ESPN HoopGurlz, and the top out of the state of Iowa…Ranked among the top-5 guards in Iowa by IowaPreps.com…Holds City High's single-game records for points (42) and three-pointers (8)…Chose Illinois over Creighton, Drake, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and DePaul…Made 41 three-pointers in her sophomore season while averaging 14.6 points per game…Took City High to the 2013 state semifinals…Volunteers at her local elementary school and at her church…Consistently appears on the Iowa City High School Honor Roll.
Sarah Overcash // 6-1 // F // Chevy Chase, Md. // St. John's College
The top-ranked recruit out of the District of Columbia…Named DCSAA First Team All-State in 2015…Played with Penn State's Amari Carter and Michigan signee Kayla Robbins...Chose Illinois over Penn and Princeton…First-Team All-WCAC selection.
