THE BASICS
The Coaches
Illinois: Matt Bollant // 50-57 at Illinois (4th year) // 332-112 overall (14th year)
Minnesota: Marlene Stollings // 32-14 at UM (2nd year) // 83-56 overall (5th year)
SERIES NOTES vs. MINNESOTA
Series Record: Illinois leads 36-25
Last Meeting: Illinois 95, Minnesota 69 // Feb. 5, 2015 // Champaign, Ill.
Series Streak: Won 1
Series in Champaign: 22-8
Series at Minnesota: 12-16
Illinois is...
...playing its first televised contest of the season
...averaging 20 points off opponent turnovers this season
...ranked 2nd in the Big Ten for its 8.0 treys per game
...averaging 4.8 blocks per game, 4th in the Big Ten
...assisting on more then 52-percent of field goals
Quick Hits
• THURSDAY'S Game: 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 OUT: Despite a major fourth-quarter comeback, Illinois dropped its second Big Ten game on Sunday afternoon, falling to Purdue, 69-65. The Illini fall to 7-6 on the season and 0-2 in Big Ten Play, while Purdue improves to 11-2 overall. The Illini came back to score 46 points in the second half and make it a one-possession game after scoring 19 points in the first half. Illinois held the Boilermakers to just two three-pointers in the game, and sophomore Chatrice White earned her eighth double-double of the season.
• SCOUTING MINNESOTA: With a 9-4 record on the season, the Golden Gophers come to Illinois after a win over Penn State. Minnesota is 1-1 in Big Ten play, dropping it's league opener at Rutgers. The Golden Gophers have a major weapon in Rachel Banham, the NCAA's active career scoring leader, who averages more than 22 points per game this season. MInnesota's Carlie Wagner also averages almost 20 points per game. Banham is also the team's rebounding leader, grabbing 6.6 rebounds a contest. Minesota averages almost 78 points per game and commits an average of almost 14 turnovers as well.
• COMING UP: The Illini hit the road for back-to-back games, heading first to Nebraska on Jan. 10 and then to Rutgers on the 13th.
LAST TIME VS. MINNESOTA
llinois sophomore Jacqui Grant scored the game's first six points and the Fighting Illini never looked back, pulling away for a 95-69 win over Minnesota on Feb. 5, 2015 at State Farm Center. UI had three players top 20 points for the first time in two seasons, as Grant tied her career high with 29, Ivory Crawford had 23 and Kyley Simmons notched a career-high 22. Illinois snapped a seven-game losing streak and sent the Gophers to their fourth loss in their last five games.
ILLINI ON TV
Thursday's game marks Illinois first televised game of the season as the tip will air live on BTN at 8 p.m. The Illini were 3-2 in televised games last season, and will play at least six games on the Big Ten Network this season as the Big Ten Tournament games will all be aired on the network as well.
GO THE DISTANCE
The Illini have found success from beyond the arc to start the season, as they currently rank 37th in the country and second in the Big Ten in three-point field goals per game (8.0). 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 104 threes this season, the second-most in the Big Ten and 37th 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 12 games this year.
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 40-percent from distance. That number ranks fourth in the Big Ten.
BALANCE IS BEST
Sharing is caring, as the Illini have noticed this season. The Orange and Blue have seen at least three players put up eight or more points in every game this season. Multiple players have reached double-figure scoring numbers in all but one game this year as well. The Illini are 5-2 when three or more players reach double-digits and 3-0 when four or more players score in double-figures.
Not only do they take turns with the scoring, but the Illini are assisting on more than 52-percent of field goals this season. Illinois has recorded 185 assists on 350 field goals with Kyley Simmons leading the way (48). Four Illini have dished more than 20 dimes this year, while seven players have racked up at least 14 assists.
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 is second in the Big Ten with her three-point field goals per game (3.0), three-pointers made (39) and her three-point field goal percentage (43.8) ranks third.
As a team, Illinois is among the top of the league in several categories. The Illini rank fourth in the conference for their 4.7 blocked shots per game and second for their 8.0 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. The Illini again made again made a change against Purdue as Kennedy Cattenhead rejoined the lineup for that contest. The Illini have started just three different lineups so far this season.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE
Sophomore Chatrice White has started the season with eight double-doubles so far this year., which means she is well on her way to breaking into the top-10 on Illinois' season double-doubles list. Five players sit in the No. 9 spot with 11 double-doubles on the season, and the record is set at 21 in a year by Jenna Smith (2009-10). White has 14 double-doubles so far in her career, and with just six more she will break into the top-10 all-time career double-doubles list as well. That record is also held by Jenna Smith, who finished her career with 53 total double-doubles.
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 61 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 more than halfway to last year's tally with 31 blocks through 13 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 20 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 fewer than 15 turnovers a game, the Illini have been able to force more than 18 turnovers from their opponents on average this season. Illinois has forced 20 or more turnovers in four games this season, and Illini opponents have committed 17 or more in nine 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 its opponents in each of the last eight games.
HOME SWEET HOME
Illinois has proved to be a tough opponent in Champaign this season. The Illini are outscoring opponents by an average of 10.5 points per game in their hometown, while holding visitors to just 36-percent shooting. Illinois averages almost eight steals per game at home, while forcing more than 18 opponent turnovers.
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 14 career double-doubles, including one in six of the last seven 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 8th in the nation for her eight double-doubles this season. Oregon's Jillian Alleyne leads the country with 13. She's No. 28 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. She is third in the league for her 9.5 boards per game as well.
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 - 8.0 27th 2nd
3FG Made - 104 37th 2nd
3FG Made - Kyley Simmons - 39 14th 2nd
3FG Per Game - Kyley Simmons - 3.0 13th 2nd
3FG Percentage - Kyley Simmons - 43.8 37th 1st
Rebounds per game - C. White - 9.5 41st 2nd
Double Doubles - Chatrice White - 8 8th 2nd
Blocked Shots - Chatrice White - 31 32nd 2nd
Blocks per game - C. White - 2.38 36th 2nd
Defensive Rebs. per game - C. White- 7 28th 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 almost than six points in the first half of games, while holding opponents to just 26-percent shooting from distance. The Illini are shooting 72-percent from the free-throw line in the first half, and limiting opponents to just 37-percent shooting from the field. The Illini average five steals per game in the first half, while forcing just about 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.
