QUICK HITS
The Coaches
ILLINOIS: Matt Bollant // 57-80 at Illinois (5th year) // 339-135 overall (15th year)
IOWA: Lisa Bluder // 332-191 at Iowa (17th year) // 688-334 overall (33rd Year)
SERIES NOTES vs. IOWA
Series Record: Iowa leads, 53-18
Last Meeting: Feb. 27, 2016 // Iowa 61, Illinois 56 // Iowa City, Iowa
Series Streak: L-1
Series in Champaign: Iowa leads, 21-12
Series in Iowa City Iowa leads, 28-5
Bollant vs. Iowa: 2-4
Illinois...
...opens Big Ten play against Iowa on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
...will appear live on BTN for the first time this season
...is 12-22 all-time in Big Ten openers
...leads the B1G in FT percentage (.763)
...is fifth in the Big Ten with 4.3 blocks per game
...soph. Alex Wittinger ranks 8th in the country with 35 blocks
...soph. Alex Wittinger is in the nation's top-20 in five categories
...freshman are combining for 50% of Illinois' scoring
...has used four different starting lineups this season
• WEDNESDAY'S GAME: Illinois opens conference play on Dec. 28 when the Iowa Hawkeyes come to Champaign. The matchup is set to air live on BTN, and will tip off at 3 p.m. Fans can also listen live on WDWS AM-1400.
• COMING UP: The Illini will spend New Year's Day in East Lansing, Mich., facing the Michigan State Spartans at 2 p.m. CT. The Spartans lead the all-time series in East Lansing, 21-10. Illinois' last victory at Michigan State came in 2014, a 61-51 win.
• LAST TIME OUT: Sophomore Alex Wittinger posted a season-high 25 points and freshman Courtney Joens tallied a career-high 13 points on Thursday at Ohio, but the Illini fell to the Bobcats, 80-68. Illinois scored a season-best 32 points in the fourth quarter with contributions from seven different players. In addition to her 13 points, Joens added a career-high eight rebounds on the night. Freshman Brandi Beasley joined Joens and Wittinger in double-figures with 12 points, and Beasley tied her career-high with six assists.
• SCOUTING IOWA: Iowa closed its nonconference slate with a 9-4 record, most recently earning an 83-48 victory over Kent State. The Hawkeyes are led in scoring by Ally Disterhoft, who averages 17.8 points per game. She is joined among scoring leaders by Megan Gustafson (16.8), who also averages 10.2 rebounds per game. The Hawkeyes are outscoring opponents by 15.8 points per game and shooting 49-percent from the floor. Iowa averages 18.4 assists per game and commits almost 17 turnovers per game.
#Illini on the Run
Illinois has seen several different trends pop up over the last few games.
• Freshman Brandi Beasley and sophomore Jaelyne Kirkpatrick have each dished two or more assists in nine of Illinois' last 11 games. Beasley has dished three or more in 10 games.
• Beasley has recorded multiple assists and multiple steals in five games this season. She's dished a career-high six assists twice, and recorded a career-best three steals three times.
• Alex Wittinger is leading the Big Ten with 2.7 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 nine games and set a school-record with eight against Wright State.
• Freshman Sarah Overcash has recorded one field goal in each of Illinois' last seven games. She made just one total in Illinois' first six games.
• Illinois has been working on a balanced attack this season. Four or more Illini have posted double-digit scoring numbers in four games this season, and two or more have scored in double-digits in all but two games.
• 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 three games this year, and have netted seven or more in five games. Illinois has shot better than its opponent from distance in seven of the last 10 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.
• The Illini have forced their opponents to double-digit turnovers in 10 of 13 games this season. Illinois has forced 15 or more turnover in six of those matchups.
B1G OPENERS
Illinois begins the 35th season of Big Ten women's basketball action on Wednesday, as 1982-83 was the first year of a full conference schedule. The Illini are 12-22 all-time in Big Ten openers and 6-14 in Big Ten openers at home. Illinois also is 5-11 at the State Farm Center in conference openers.
BIG TEN WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Sophomore Alex Wittinger was named to the Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Week Honor Roll on Monday. Wittinger averaged 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game on the road for Illinois last week, shooting 62.5-percent from the floor. She has scored in double-digits in five consecutive games, and earned her sixth double-double of the season at Central Michigan. Wittinger carded her third 20-point game of the season and sixth of her career on Thursday night at Ohio after a season-high 25-point performance. She tied her career-high with 12 field goals made in the contest.
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
Blocked Shots (56) 43rd 4th
Blocks per game (4.3) 75th 5th
Fewest Turnovers (186) 165th 5th
Free Throw Percentage (.763) 30th 1st
Turnovers per game (14.3) 59th 5th
Alex Wittinger
Blocked Shots (35) 8th 1st
Blocks per game (2.69) 17th 1st
Double Doubles (6) 17th 3rd
FG Made (87) 15th 5th
FG Percentage (49.7) 95th 8th
Rebounds (119) 18th 4th
Rebounds per game (9.2) 53rd 5th
Offensive Rebounds (51 / 3.9) 2nd
Defensive Rebounds (68 / 5.2) 8th
Brandi Beasley
Minute Played (456:00) 12th 2nd
Minutes per game (35.08) 70th 1st
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 2.7 blocks per game this season, and has accumulated 35 blocks, over half of her 50 total from last season. Wittinger currently ranks 10th all-time at Illinois for her 85 career blocks.
DOUBLE-DOUBLING UP
Through the first 13 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 six. 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.
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 improved their field goal percentage in five consecutive games, shooting a season high 48.1-percent against FGCU. Illinois scored a season-best 32 points in the paint just one game prior, against Wright State. The Illini have shot better htan 40-percent from the field in six games this year.
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 11.1 points per game this year. Beasley has scored in double-digits in seven games and earned her first career double-double against Wake Forest.
Beasley has dished three or more assists in 11 games this year, leading the team in dimes in eight games. She currently has a team-leading 49 assists on the year. Should she continue to average 3.5 or more assists per game this season, Beasley will be among all-time freshman single-season assists leaders.
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 31.6 points per game so far this year, good for 50-percent of Illinois' scoring, led by Beasley, who averages 11.2 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.
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.
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 eight games.
Illinois' bench is averaging 16.3 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 6.0 points per game off the bench.
The Illini bench contributed 21 points at Ohio, good for its fifth 20-plus point performance this season.
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. 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 50-percent through Illinois' last five games and has shot 90-percent from the charity stripe in that span.
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 8.1 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. She improved on her career-high with 19 points against Florida Gulf Coast.
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 five games, and is among Illinois leaders with 16 made this year. Joens has scored in double-figures off the bench four times this season, including a career-best 13 points at Ohio.
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).
Eight Illini opponents have shot below 40-percent from the floor this season.
FREE THROW FEST
The Illini started the season strong from the foul line this season, as six players are shooting 70-percent or better so far. Freshman Ali Andrews has been the most impressive as she is 27-for-31 (.871) from the line this year.
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 five games this season and lead the Big Ten with their .763 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 14.8 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 five 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 nine 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.
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.
MCCONNELL'S SENIOR SEASON
Senior Ashley McConnell is Illinois' only senior this season. In her time wearing the Orange and Blue, McConnell has made 78 appearances and earned nine starts. She has dished 39 assists and grabbed 26 steals while scoring 120 points.
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
