Quick Hits
The Coaches
ILLINOIS: Matt Bollant // 56-78 at Illinois (5th year) // 338-133 overall (15th year)
FGCU: Karl Smesko // 384-78 at FGCU (14th year) // 444-105 overall (17th Year)
SERIES NOTES vs. FGCU
Series Record: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Series Streak: First Meeting
Series in Champaign: First Meeting
Series at FGCU: First Meeting
Illinois...
...and FGCU are meeting for the first time
...will set out for a two-game road-trip next week
...opens Big Ten play at the end of the month
...soph. Alex Wittinger leads the Big Ten in blocks per game
...is fifth in the Big Ten with 4.5 blocks per game
...freshman are combining for 51% of Illinois' scoring
...freshman Ali Andrews is 4th in the B1G in FT percentage
• SATURDAY'S GAME: Next up, Illinois will host Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday, Dec. 17. The contest will be live streamed at FightingIllini.com, and fans can listen on WDWS AM-1400. Fans can purchase a Family Four Pack for just $30, which includes four tickets and $20 in concessions vouchers.
• COMING UP: The Illini open a two-game road stretch at Central Michigan on Monday, Dec. 19, before closing non-conference play at Ohio on Thursday, Dec. 22.
• LAST TIME OUT: Fighting Illini women's basketball used a balanced scoring attack on Sunday afternoon to overcome the Wright State Raiders, 76-72. Freshman Petra Holešínská led the squad with a career-high 18 points, also posting 11 rebounds to earn her first career double-double. Sophomore Alex Wittinger was key on both ends of the court as she was among team leaders for her 15 points, and her eight blocks set a new single-game school record.
• SCOUTING FGCU: FGCU comes to Illinois with a 6-5 record, riding a four-game winning streak. The Eagles most recently earned a 67-41 victory over North Carolina A&T. FGCU has faced two Illini opponents this season, falling to both Ohio State (79-66) and George Washington (76-47). Two Eagles are averaging double-digit scoring numbers to lead the team in Taylor Gradinjan and Haley Laughter. They each average more than three rebounds per game to lead the team as well. Junior forward Rosmarie Julien was recently named the ASUN Newcomer of the week after leading the Eagles to consecutive wins over Siena and FAU.
#Illini on the Run
Illinois has seen several different trends pop up over the last few games.
• Freshman Brandi Beasley has scored in double-digits in three consecutive games, resetting her previous career-high number several times. She led Illinois against both George Washington and South Dakota and has scored in double- figures five times this year.
• Freshman Brandi Beasley and sophomore Jaelyne Kirkpatrick have each dished two or more assists in each of Illinois' last eight games.
• Alex Wittinger is averaging 2.9 blocks per game this season, and recorded all of Illinois' rejections against Wake Forest and Wright State. She has led the team in blocked shots in seven games and set a school-record with eight against Wright State.
• Wittinger recorded five consecutive double-doubles in the first six games, a number that is second in the Big Ten and is fifth in the nation.
• Illinois has had two or more players score in double-figures in eight games this season, including a season-high five players in double-digits against both USC Upstate and Wake Forest. The performance against USC Upstate marks the first time five players have registered double-figures in a single game since Jan. 20, 2016 against Indiana.
• Illinois made a season-high 12 three-pointers at South Dakota this season. The Illini have knocked down four or more treys in all but two games this year, and have netted seven or more in three of the last four games. Illinois has shot better than its opponent from distance in six of the last seven games.
• The Illini have held six opponents to less than 27-percent shooting from beyond the arc, and allowed just one triple from Mercer to mark a season low.
RECORD SETTING
Sophomore Alex Wittinger had quite the night against Wright State. Not only was she among team-leaders with her 15-point, eight-rebound performance, but she swatted a career-high eight blocks on the day. That number is an Illinois all-time single-game record, and Wittinger is one of just eight players in Division I to record eight or more blocks in a single game. Previously, Illinois' record was set at seven by Jenna Smith in 2010 and matched by two more players, three times.
Wittinger is averaging 2.9 blocks per game this season, and has accumulated 29 blocks, over half of her 50 total from last season. Should she continue at this rate, Wittinger will move into the top spot on Illinois' single season blocked shots list, and will move into the top six on Illinois' career blocks list.
DOUBLE-DOUBLING UP
Through the first 10 games this season, three Illini have recorded at least one double-double. Freshmen Brandi Beasley and Petra Holešínská each posted their first career double-doubles, while Alex Wittinger leads the Illini with five. Illinois has seen at least two players record a double-double in each of head coach Matt Bollant's five seasons, highlighted by five players each recording one or more during the 2014-15 campaign.
BEASLEY IS KEY
Freshman Brandi Beasley has become a consistent force on the court for the Illini this season. Beasley's six treys at South Dakota set a new Illinois single-game freshman record, as she made 6-of-8 from downtown. She led the Illini with a career-best 24 points in the contest.
She has reset her career-high scoring number in four games, and is among team leaders for her 10.3 points per game this year. Beasley has scored in double-digits in five games and earned her first career double-double against Wake Forest. She is shooting better htan 41-percent from the field through the last five games.
Beasley has dished three or more assists in nine games this year, leading the team in dimes in six games. She currently has a team-leading 35 assists on the year. Should she continue to average 3.5 assists per game this season, Beasley will be among all-time freshman single-season assists leaders.
Beasley is also strong on the boards, she's second on the squad only to Alex Wittinger as she averages 6.0 rebounds per game.
HOLEŠÍNSKÁ'S CAREER DAYS
Illini freshman Petra Holešínská had a breakout performance against Memphis, contributing 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 3-for-6 from three-point range, in a season-high 23 minutes. Holešínská recorded more points in the first half against Memphis (13) than she did in her first two games combined (8). She also grabbed a career-best four steals in the contest.
She saw even more success in Illinois' victory over Fort Wayne as the Czech Republic, native, knocked down a career-best five three-pointers on 5-of-7 shooting from distance. She led the squad with 17 points in the contest, one short of her career high.
The freshman grabbed her first career double-double against Wright State, leading the squad with 18 points and 11 rebounds. She is shooting almost 45-percent through Illinois' last five games.
CHART TOPPING
The Illini can be spotted at the top of the list in several categories this season, individually and as a team.
Category National Rank B1G Rank
Blocks per game (4.1) 99th 5th
Fewest Fouls (159) 235th 4th
Fewest Turnovers (124) 106th 3rd
FG Percentage Defense (.358) 69th 6th
Free Throw Percentage (.750) 43rd 1st
Scoring Defense (60.7) 112th 6th
Turnovers per game (13.8) 38th 4th
Alex Wittinger
Blocked Shots (21) 27th 3rd
Blocks per game (2.22) 37th 3rd
Double Doubles (5) 7th 2nd
Rebounds (85) 31st 4th
Rebounds per game (9.4) 49th 4th
Defensive Rebounds (51 / 5.7) 6th
Offensive Rebounds (34 / 3.8) 2nd
Ali Andrews
Free Throw Percentage (.867) 57th 2nd
Brandi Beasley
Minutes Played (314:00) 68th 11th
Minutes per game (34.89) 82nd 2nd
GOING STREAKING
Sophomore Alex Wittinger opened the season posting five straight double-doubles in the first six games of the year. Wittinger's streak marks the second season in a row that Illinois has had a player record five consecutive double-doubles as Chatrice White also matched that number last season. Prior to White, the last time an Illini had recorded five in a row was during the 2010-11 campaign (Karisma Penn). Jenna Smith recorded seven-straight double-doubles at the end of the 2009-10 season.
MOVING ON UP
The Illini have seen consistent improvements on the floor this season as the young team is gaining confidence. The Orange and Blue have improved their field goal percentage in each of the last four games, shooting a season high 44.4-percent against Wright State. Illinois scored a season-best 32 points in the paint against the Raiders as well.
JOENS FOR THREE
Freshman Courtney Joens has developed a habit of knocking down three-pointers at just the right time this season. She has hit two or more three-pointers in three games, and is among Illinois leaders with 11 made this year. Joens has scored in double-figures off the bench three times this season.
FIGHTING FRESHMEN
As expected, Illinois has seen major contributions from its freshmen to open the season. Brandi Beasley, Ali Andrews and Petra Holešínská have all played significant roles in the Illini starting lineup this year. Sarah Overcash and Courtney Joens have also made contributions on the court for the Illini so far.
The Illini freshmen are accounting for 31.3 points per game so far this year, good for more than 50-percent (51.0) of Illinois' scoring, led by Beasley, who averages 10.3 points per game.
Illinois has seen three freshmen score in double-digits in two games this season, against both Wake Forest and USC Upstate. Prior to this year, the last time an Illinois squad saw that kind of production from its freshmen was Nov. 17, 2013 in a 112-28 victory over Alcorn State.
ILLINI OFF THE BENCH
Illinois has seen impressive productions from it's players off the bench so far this year. Redshirt junior Kennedy Cattenhead started the trend, coming off the bench to score 10 points in Illinois' season opener against Marshall. So far the Illini have seen double-digit production from at least one player off the pine in six of eight contests.
Illinois' bench is outscoring opponents by more than five points per game this year, averaging 16.8 points per game. Freshman Petra Holešínská was leading that charge, averaging 12 points per game when coming off the pine, but the current leader is Courtney Joens who averages 5.1 points per game off the bench.
CATTENHEAD STEPPING UP
Redshirt junior Kennedy Cattenhead has continued to build on her improvements from last season. After averaging just 1.1 points per game in her freshman year, Cattenhead showed major improvements last season. She averaged almost seven points per game and earned 27 starts for the Orange and Blue. Cattenhead was an important asset for the Illini as she also recorded 28 steals. After recording just seven assists in her freshman year, Cattenhead dished out 57 dimes last year.
Currently, Cattenhead is among Illini scoring leaders, posting 8.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. She led the team with a career-high five assists against South Dakota, and led the Illini in scoring against Wake Forest.
STRONG START FOR THE ILLINI DEFENSE
The Illini have held four opponents to less than 30-percent shooting from the floor this year, including Fort Wayne who shot just 25.6-percent. The last time an Illinois team held four or more opponents to worse than 30-percent shooting was during the 2009-10 campaign when the Orange and Blue held eight opponents shot below 30-percent.
Illinois held both Marshall and UAPB to less than 30-percent shooting from the floor in consecutive games to start the season. The Illini have not held consecutive opponents to less than 30-percent shooting since the 2013-14 season when the Orange and Blue held Alcorn State to 15.3-percent shooting (11/17/13) and followed that up by holding SIU to 22.6-percent from the floor (11/21/13).
Illinois held just one opponent to less than 30-percent shooting last season (Tennessee State, .221), and two opponents to less than 30-percent during the 2014-15 campaign (Southern, .269; Murray State, .275).
Seven Illini opponents have shot below 40-percent from the floor this season.
PERFECT START
The Illini started the season strong from the foul line this season, as five players are shooting 70-percent or better so far. Freshman Ali Andrews has been the most impressive as she is 26-for-30 (.867) from the line this year, which ranks third in the Big Ten.
The Illini were on fire from the free throw line against UAPB, making 18-of-19 shots good for 94.7 percent shooting. The last time the Illini shot better than that from the charity stripe was Jan. 3, 2014 against Wisconsin, going 4-for-4. The Illini made 21-of-22 attempts (95.5-percent) at Wisconsin (2/14/08).
The Orange and Blue have shot 85-percent or better in four games this season and are second in the Big Ten with their .742 free throw shooting percentage, a number that sits among the top-50 in the nation.
WITTINGER'S HOT START
Illinois' leading scorer, sophomore Alex Wittinger, got off to a strong start to the season. She currently leads the Illini averaging 13.0 points per game, and posted five-straight double-doubles in Illinois' first six games this year. Wittinger has recorded a double-double in three of her four career 20+ point games and was just one rebound away from a double-double when she dropped 21 points at No. 5 Ohio State last season (2/21/16).
Wittinger has recorded multiple blocks in seven of Illinois' games this season, and has carded multiple blocks and multiple steals in two of those six matchups. She has posted multiple blocks and multiple steals in four career games.
RICE'S RETURN
Sophomore Cierra Rice returned this season after being sidelined just before Big Ten play last year. Rice was off to a strong start last year as she had recorded two 20-point games in just 10 appearances. Rice averaged 13.6 points per game, dished 24 assists and swiped 11 steals last year. She played a career-high 40 minutes in her 2016-17 debut, contributing five points, four rebounds, an assist and two steals.
She put up double-figures in Illinois' victory over UAPB, knocking down nine of her 11 points in the fourth quarter to lift Illinois to victory. She also grabbed six rebounds and dished an assist in the matchup. Rice's return was short-lived, however, as she suffered a foot injury against Memphis that currently has her sidelined.
MCCONNELL'S SENIOR SEASON
Senior Ashley McConnell is Illinois' only senior this season. In her time wearing the Orange and Blue, McConnell has made 75 appearances and earned eight starts. She has dished 38 assists and grabbed 25 steals while scoring 117 points.
WITTINGER'S WAYS
Now in her sophomore season, Alex Wittinger had quite the freshman debut. The Delano, Minnesota, native closed the season among Big Ten leaders for her 3.3 offensive rebounds and her 1.8 blocks per game. Wittinger was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice last season, and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team following the year. Wittinger grabbed 193 rebounds last season, good for fifth all-time among Illinois freshmen, and her 50 rejections rank third on Illinois' all-time freshman records list. Wittinger averaged 10 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season, scoring a career-high 27 points and grabbing a personal-best 15 rebounds at Minnesota. She posted four double-doubles on the season, and is looking to improve on those numbers this year.
EXHIBITION RECAP
Several Illini saw their first action in the State Farm Center as freshmen Ali Andrews and Brandi Beasley both earned spots among the starting lineup. It was a young group as the freshmen were joined in the lineup by sophomores Alex Wittinger, Jaelyne Kirkpatrick and Cierra Rice. Freshmen Petra Holešínská, Sarah Overcash and Courtney Joens also made their first appearances for the Illini in a 66-60 loss to Drury University. Wittinger was in double-figures before the end of the game as she put up 15 points and 13 rebounds before the final period. She also finished with two blocks and three steals. Beasley totaled 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Andrews was also in double-figures, racking up 13 points. She added two blocks and three steals to her line. Rice tallied 10 points in her return for the Illini, and Kirkpatrick finished with eight points and four assists.
NEW LOOK FOR THE ILLINI
Coming off of a 9-21 season in 2015-16, the 2016-17 Illini squad will have a new look as the team welcomes six new players in Ali Andrews, Brandi Beasley, Petra Holešínská, Courtney Joens, Cydnee Kinslow and Sarah Overcash. Senior Ashley McConnell and redshirt junior Kennedy Cattenhead will look to lead the young squad, also composed of sophomores Jaelyne Kirkpatrick, Cierra Rice and Alex Wittinger.
BTN APPEARANCES
The Big Ten Conference announced game times and television information for the conference portion of the 2016-17 women's basketball season on Monday, Sept. 26, completing Illinois' 2016-17 schedule. All of Illinois' Big Ten contests will be available on the Big Ten Network or BTN Plus. Illinois will open conference play live on BTN Wednesday, Dec. 28, against Iowa at 3 p.m. CT at State Farm Center. The Illini will have two other televised home contests: Saturday, Jan. 7 against Rutgers, and Saturday, Feb. 25 against Indiana. Illinois will appear on BTN Plus for the remainder of the conference schedule.
THE BIG TEN SCHEDULE
Illinois will host a competitive slate of Big Ten opponents this season, including Iowa, (Dec. 28), Rutgers (Jan. 7), Nebraska (Jan. 15) and 2016 Big Ten Tournament Champion, Maryland (Jan. 26). The Orange and Blue will have several road contests during the month of January, including trips to Michigan State (Jan. 1), Iowa (Jan. 11), Minnesota (Jan. 18), Ohio State (Jan. 22) and Penn State (Jan. 29). The squad will return home in the month of February, with back-to-back games against Michigan (Feb. 1) and Purdue (Feb. 5). After a road game at Maryland (Feb. 9), the Illini will host Penn State on Feb. 14. Illinois will conclude regular season travel with games at Northwestern (Feb. 19) and Wisconsin (Feb. 22) before hosting Indiana in the regular season finale on Feb. 25.
BOLLANT SIGNS THREE FOR 2017-18
The Illini signed three highly-ranked recruits to the 2017-18 roster this week. Illinois will welcome the following players to the Illini family next season.
Channise Lewis // 5-8 // G // Miami, Fla. // Miami Country Day School
-Ranked the No. 16 guard in the country and No. 77 overall by ESPN
-Two-time FABC 3A All-State first team honoree
-2016 Miami Herald All-Dade 4A-2A Player of the Year
-Led Miami Country Day to three consecutive Florida Class 3A State Championship titles
-Led her high school to the 2015 Dick's Girls High School Basketball National Championship
-2015-16 USA Today American Family Insurance ALL-USA Florida Girls Basketball Team
-Chose Illinois over Virginia Tech and Purdue, among others
Addaya Moore // 6-0 // G // Granite City, Ill. // Granite City High School
-Led Granite City averaging 19 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game in her junior season
-Earned all-tournament honors at Orchard Farm, Jerseyville and Carrollton
-Chose Illinois over Clemson, Columbia and Marquette, among others
Jnaya Walker // 6-1 // F // Bolingbrook, Ill. // Bolingbrook
-No. 19 ranked forward by ESPN
-2016 IBCA 3A/4A All-State honoree
-Averaged almost 14 points per game and five rebounds for Bolingbrook in her junior year
-Chose Illinois over Nebraska and Wisconsin, among others
