University of Illinois
Purdue
@IlliniWBB Ready for Road Trip to Purdue
January 1, 2016 | Women's Basketball
The Illini will face the Boilermakers on Sunday.
THE BASICS
The Coaches
Illinois: Matt Bollant // 50-55 at Illinois (4th year) // 332-110 overall (14th year)
Purdue: Sharon Versyp // 204-110 at PU (10h year) // 321-175 overall (16th year)
SERIES NOTES vs. PURDUE
Series Record: Purdue leads, 52-18
Last Meeting: Illinois 47, Purdue 46 // Feb. 21, 2015 // West Lafayette, Ind.
Series Streak: Won 1
Series in Champaign: 12-21
Series at Purdue: 5-28
Bollant vs. Purdue: 1-4
Illinois is...
...looking for its first true road win on Sunday
...opening the Big Ten road slate on Sunday
...ranked No. 23 in the country for its 8.2 3FGs per game
...averaging 4.8 blocks per game, 4th in the Big Ten
QUICK HITS
• THURSDAY'S GAME: The Illini head out on the road to face Purdue on Jan. 3. The game will tipoff at 1 p.m. CT and can be watched on BTN Plus. Illinois topped Purdue in West Lafayette last season and will look to continue that streak this weekend.
• LAST TIME OUT: Six Illini scored eight or more points each on Thursday Dec. 31, in Illinois' Big Ten opener against the No. 6-ranked Maryland Terrapins, but it wasn't enough to secure the win. Maryland took a 79-63 victory over the Illini, improving to 12-1 on the season. Illinois falls to 7-5 on the season and 0-1 in Big Ten play. UI was led by sophomore Chatrice White who put up 14 points, and eight of nine Illini found the net in the contest. Illinois took five charges in the game, with three credited to redshirt senior Kyley Simmons. Simmons also continued her three-pointer streak knocked down two treys in the game. She finished with eight points, four rebounds and a block and has made two or more three-pointers in 10 games this season.
• SCOUTING PURDUE: The Boilermakers are 10-2 on the season, coming off of a Big Ten victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor. Purdue is currently on a five game winning streak, with three players averaging double-figure scoring numbers. The Boilermakers are outscoring opponents by more than 14 points this season, while averaging only three more boards than their opponents. April Wilson leads Purdue as she puts up more than 14 points per game, while Bridget Perry grabs 6.5 rebounds per game to lead the team.
• COMING UP: Illinois will host Minnesota in an 8 p.m. tip on January 7. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
LAST TIME AT PURDUE
Despite being held to just 16 points in the first half, the Fighting Illini came roaring back to defeat Purdue, 47-46, in Mackey Arena. The win marks the Illini's first victory in West Lafayette since Feb. 3, 2005, and just fifth ever in program history. Chatrice White posted her sixth double-double of the season with a team-best 14 points, 10 rebounds and five steals, but it was Kyley Simmons who hit the game-winning shot with 1:16 remaining in the game, one of three treys in the game for the Illini point guard, who finished with nine points, four steals and three assists.
GO THE DISTANCE
The Illini have found success from beyond the arc to start the season, as they currently rank 23rd in the country and second in the Big Ten in three-point field goals per game (8.2). Illinois has netted at least eight triples in seven games this season, including 10 triples in five games this season. The Illini have knocked down 98 threes this season, the second-most in the Big Ten and 28th in the nation.
Redshirt senior Kyley Simmons certainly leads the charge from distance this season as she has knocked down four or more treys in four games this season. She has made at least one trey in 11 games this year. Simmons leads the Big Ten, shooting 44.4-percent from beyond the arc, and is ranked 16th in the country for her 3.00 threes per game.
Brooke Kissinger has made major contributions in the three-point department for the Illini as well. She has knocked down 18 threes this season, shooting 43-percent from distance. That number ranks fourth in the Big Ten.
A BANG IN THE BIG TEN
Not only does Kyley Simmons rank among the top of the nation for her three-point shooting, but she's at the top of the Big Ten. Simmons leads the Big Ten with her three-point field goals per game (3.0), three-pointers made (36) and her three-point field goal percentage (44.4) ranks second.
As a team, Illinois is among the top of the league in several categories. The Illini rank fourth in the conference for their 4.8 blocked shots per game and second for their 8.2 treys per game.
A CHANGE OF PACE
After starting the same five players for the first 10 games of the season, head coach Matt Bollant switched things up against George Washington. Both Jaelyne Kirkpatrick and Alex Wittinger earned the start for the first time in their careers. With freshman Cierra Rice sidelined for a few weeks, we may see these two newcomers earning a more permanent starting role.
NON-CONFERENCE NUMBERS
The Orange and Blue finished the non-conference slate with a 7-4 record, starting the season with five consecutive wins. The Illini averaged almost 75 points per game, and limited opponents to just 30-percent shooting from beyond the arc. Illinois forced more than 18 turnovers per game from its opponents and aslo assisted on more than 53-percent of shots during non-conference play.
BLOCK PARTY
As a team, the Illini have tallied 57 rejections on the season, averaging almost five per game. Illinois averaged almost four blocks a game last season, led by Chatrice White's freshman record 60 blocks. White is once again leading the charge as she is almost halfway to last year's tally with 29 blocks through 12 games. If she keeps up this pace, White could place herself atop the Illinois Season Blocks list currently led by Karisma Penn who rejected 78 shots in the 2010-11 season. White's 60 blocks last season ranks sixth all-time at Illinois. She is certainly holding up her end of the bargain as she swiped seven blocks against South Dakota, matching her career-best and the State Farm Center record set by Karisma Penn. White's 2.4 blocks per game this season rank second in the Big Ten.
White has some help this season as freshman Alex Wittinger is also racking up the rejections. Wittinger has 19 total so far this season, including a season-best, six, against Lehigh. Wittinger's 1.6 blocks per game rank sixth in the BIg Ten.
TURNOVER TIME
Averaging less than 15 turnovers a game, the Illini have been able to force more than 18 turnovers from their opponents each game. Illinois has forced 20 or more turnovers in four games this season, and Illini opponents have committed 17 or more in eight games. Illinois has only led in the turnover category in four games this year. The Orange and Blue have also been taking advantage of those turnovers, averaging 20 points off turnovers each game. Illinois has recorded more points off turnovers than their opponents in six of the last seven games.
ILLINI ON THE ROAD
Illinois has played two true road games so far this season. Despite an 0-2 record on the road, the Illini play strongly in enemy territory. Illinosi averages almost 70 points per game while shooting better than 42-percent. The Illini have made 21 threes on the road, including a season-best 12 at Memphis. The Illini average 10 steals per game away from home, while also forcing almost 20 turnovers per game.
WHITE'S WAYS
Sophomore Chatrice White has been making waves this season, starting the year off with back-to-back double-doubles. She didn't stop there, however, as she has put up 20 or more points in five games so far this season. White currently has 10 career 20+ point games and 13 career double-doubles, including one in five of the last six games.
• She recorded five consecutive double-doubles this season, which has not been done since Karisma Penn earned six-straight double-doubles in the 2010-11 season.
• 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.
• White currently ranks 2nd in the Big Ten and 10th in the nation for her seven double-doubles this season. Oregon's Jillian Alleyne leads the country with 11. She's No. 29 in the country for her seven defensive rebounds per game as well.
• White's 17.7 points per game rank 11th in the Big Ten this season and her 2.4 blocks per game rank second.
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
3FG Made per game - 8.2 23rd 2nd
3FG Made - 98 28th 2nd
3FG Made - Kyley Simmons - 36 20th 1st
3FG Per Game - Kyley Simmons - 3.0 16th 1st
3FG Percentage - Kyley Simmons - 44.4 30th 1st
Rebounds per game - C. White - 9.4 43rd 2nd
Double Doubles - Chatrice White - 7 10th 2nd
Blocked Shots - Chatrice White - 29 28th 2nd
Blocks per game - C. White - 2.42 33rd 2nd
Defensive Rebs. per game - C. White- 7 29th 3rd
FIRST HALF PHENOMS
Energy and enthusiasm prove to be a secret weapon for the Illini in the first half of games this season. The Illini are outscoring opponents by more than seven points in the first half of games, while holding visitors to just 27-percent shooting from distance. The Illini are shooting better than 71-percent from the free-throw line in the first half, and limiting opponents to just 36-percent shooting from the field. The Illini average five steals per game in the first half, while forcing more than 10 opponent turnovers before the break.
TOP 10 winningest
Now in his 14th season of head coaching, Matt Bollant came into the year with a .754 winning percentage. That number puts him 10th among all active head coaches in the country. Not only that, but Bollant has a 100-percent graduation rate during his 19 years of head coaching.
RECORDS FALL
Redshirt senior Kyley Simmons knocked down seven three-pointers, helping to lead Illinois over Lehigh on Dec. 6. She shot 70-percent from distance in the game, and her seven treys matched the State Farm Center single-game record set by Amber Moore in 2011. Simmons is currently shooting 48.5-percent from distance, good for first in the Big Ten and 15th in the nation.
DEFENSE IS KEY
Illinois' defense has largely contributed to its hot start to the year. UI has held three opponents to less than 32-percent shooting from the field, including holding Tennessee State to just 21.7-percent. Four Illini opponents have shot 25-percent or worse from distance as well this season.
DOUBLING UP
Six Illini reached double-figure scoring numbers in two games this season. The Illini first spread the production out against Tennessee State, seeing career-bests from Kennedy Cattenhead and Brooke Kissinger as well. The Illini again spread out the scoring against SIU on Dec. 8, seeing six players hit double-digits once again. Prior to Tennessee State, Illinois last 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.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK TIMES THREE
Cierra Rice has earned Big Ten weekly honors twice this season, the most for an Illini freshman since Karisma Penn received the honor four times in the 2009-10 season. She first garnered the award on Monday, Nov. 23, coming off of a 20-point performance against UT Martin and 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. She then earned her second nod on Dec. 7, after putting up 22 points against Miami and following up with a 12-point performance in Illinois' win over Lehigh.
Alex Wittinger joins Rice in earing the weekly honor as she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Dec. 13 after bacl-to-back double-digit scoring games against SIU and Central Michigan and her second-career double-double against CMU.
It is the first time since the award was developed in 2009-10 that Illinois has had two players receive Freshman of the Week honors.
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.
BOLLANT'S 50TH
Head coach Matt Bollant earned his 50th victory at Illinois in a 74-69 defeat of Central Michigan. Bollant is currently 332-107 in his career. He has taken his teams to 12 postseason appearances in his head coaching career, including four NCAA Tournament appearances and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2011. The Illini earned a 7-1 start to the season, the best during Bollant's tenure at the helm of Illinois Women's Basketball.
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
With only two starters returning this season, the Illini have a few new faces in the starting lineups. Redshirt senior Kyley Simmons and sophomore Chatrice White are returning for a second year, but they were originally joined by first-time starters Sarah Hartwell, Kennedy Cattenhead and Cierra Rice. The Orange and Blue switched things up against George Washington, with freshmen Jaelyne Kirkpatrick and Alex Wittinger earning the start as well. 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.
