QUICK HITS
The Coaches
ILLINOIS: Matt Bollant // 59-82 at Illinois (5th year) // 341-137 overall (15th year)
NEBRASKA: Amy Williams // 5-12 at Nebraska (1st year) // 198-121 overall (10th Year)
SERIES NOTES vs. NEBRASKA
Series Record: Illinois trails, 3-10
Last Meeting: Jan. 10, 2016 // Nebraska 73, Illinois 57 // Lincoln, Neb.
Series Streak: L-6
Series in Champaign: Illinois trails, 1-3
Series in Lincoln: Illinois trails, 1-6
Bollant vs. Nebraska: 1-5
Illinois...
...looking forward to Pack the House on Sunday
...hosting a Teddy Bear Toss at halftime of Sunday's game
...is averaging almost 14 points off turnovers per game
...has held 8 opponents to less than 27-percent 3-point shooting
...has six players shooting better than 40% in B1G play
...has three players scoring in double-digits in B1G play
...freshmen are combining for 52% of Illinois' scoring
• SUNDAY'S GAME: Illinois returns to Champaign for the annual Pack the House game on Jan. 15. Admission is free for all fans as the Illini host Nebraska at 2 p.m. There will be a Teddy Bear Toss at halftime, and fans are encouraged to bring a new, stuffed animal to toss onto the court at halftime. Toys will be donated to children in need.
• COMING UP: The Orange and Blue are will head out for back-to-back road trips next week, traveling to Minnesota and Ohio State. The Illini and the Gophers meet on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. followed by a Sunday afternoon matchup against the Buckeyes.
• LAST TIME OUT: Fighting Illini women's basketball fell to the Iowa Hawkeyes, 78-58, on Wednesday night. Three Illini posted double-digit scoring numbers, led by sophomore Alex Wittinger who tallied 17 points and seven rebounds on the night. Freshman Brandi Beasley and redshirt junior Kennedy Cattenhead finished with 12 points each. Beasley swiped four steals on the night to match her career high.
• SCOUTING NEBRASKA: The Huskers are 5-12 on the season, and will come to Champaign off of their first conference victory, a 62-58 win over Rutgers. Jessica Shepard leads the Huskers averaging a double-double with 18.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Nebraska opponents are outscoring the Huskers by 10.3 points per game, and the Huskers average more than 18 turnovers per game. The Huskers are shooting 38-percent from the field this season, averaging more than six three-pointers per contest.
#ILLINI ON THE RUN
Illinois has seen several different trends pop up over the last few games.
• Freshman Brandi Beasley has recorded multiple assists and multiple steals in seven games this season. She dished a career-high nine assists against Rutgers, and recorded a career-best four steals in both games against Iowa.
• Alex Wittinger is leading the Big Ten with 2.6 blocks per game this season, and recorded all of Illinois' rejections in four games. She has led the team in blocked shots in 11 games and set a school-record with eight against Wright State.
• Wittinger has been on a scoring streak as of late. She is averaging 16 points per game over Illinois' last five games and shooting 60.7-percent from the field in that span. Wittinger's scoring contributions make up 25-percent of Illinois' scoring over the past five games.
• Illinois has been working on a balanced attack this season. Four or more Illini have posted double-digit scoring numbers in five games this season, and two or more have scored in double-digits in all but two games.
• The Orange and Blue have been getting into the groove since the start of conference play. Four Illini are shooting better than 45-percent from the field in league play, led by Wittinger's 60-percent.
• Illinois made a season-high 12 three-pointers in two games this season. The Illini have knocked down four or more treys in all but four games this year, and have netted seven or more in six games. Illinois has shot better than its opponent from distance in nine games.
• The Illini have held eight opponents to less than 27- percent shooting from beyond the arc, and allowed just one triple from Mercer and Rutgers to mark season lows.
• The Illini have forced their opponents to double-digit turnovers in 14 of 17 games this season. Illinois has forced 15 or more turnovers in eight of those matchups, including a season-best 23 opponent turnovers twice.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Illini are putting up some impressive numbers inside the State Farm Center this season. Three Illini are putting up double-figure scoring numbers at home in Alex Wittinger (14.6), Kennedy Cattenhead (10.0) and Petra Holešínská (11.5). Both Wittinger and Cattenhead are shooting better than 50-percent on their home turf.
As a team, Illinois is shooting 79-percent from the charity stripe at home, and has knocked down 127 of its 172 free throws on Lou Henson Court.
A MARGIN TO TALK ABOUT
Illinois earned its second conference victory over Rutgers, 78-41, to mark the second-largest margin of victory for an Illini team in Big Ten play. The largest was a 47-point victory over Michigan State (98-51) in 1998. The 37-point margin of victory over Rutgers was the highest for an Illini team since a 55-point victory over Tennessee State (98-43) on Nov. 24, 2015.
NEWCOMERS LEADING THE LEAGUE
The Illini freshman have been making a splash this season, and continue to do so into league play. Both Brandi Beasley and Petra Holešínská are among freshmen leaders in the Big Ten for their scoring numbers. Beasley's 11.2 points per game rank third among Big Ten freshmen while Holešínská's 9.3 points per game rank fifth.
Beasley leads all freshmen in rebounding this season, averaging 5.6 boards, and she sits fourth among freshmen for her 3.9 assists per game. Her 5.0 offensive rebounds and her 34.7 minutes played per game also lead the league's newcomers. She's third among freshmen for her 1.6 steals per game.
Holešínská currently sits among the top 10 freshmen in the league in several categories as well. She ranks fourth for her 3.4 defensive boards and eighth for her 3.9 total rebounds pre game; she is tied at eighth with Ali Andrews for their seven blocked shots this year. Holešínská's 1.5 treys per game rank fifth and her 33.8 three-point shooting percentage sits ninth, while Courtney Joens sits ninth among Big Ten freshmen for her 34.0 three-point shooting percentage.
HOT HOLEŠÍNSKÁ
Freshman Petra Holešínská has had quite the start to Big Ten play as she is among team leaders averaging 12.8 points per game. She's shooting 55-percent from distance as she's made 11-of-20 shots from three-point range in her last four games, inlcuding a career-best tying five triples against Rutgers. Holesinska is 8-for-8 from the free throw line in league play, and knocked down a career-high 21 points to lead Illinois over Rutgers.
Sophomore Alex Wittinger is also hot in league play as she's shooting 56-percent from the field in Illinois' last four games, and has recorded 10 steals and nine blocks in that span.
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 (67) 105th 6th
Blocks per game (3.9) 105th 6th
Fewest Turnovers (239) 98th 3rd
Free Throw Percentage (.758) 31st 1st
3FG Percentage Defense (.294) 86th 4th
Turnovers per game (14.1) 51st 4th
Alex Wittinger
Blocked Shots (44) 12th 1st
Blocks per game (2.59) 20th 1st
Double Doubles (6) 48th 6th
FG Made (112) 31st 8th
FG Percentage (50.9) 66th 8th
Rebounds (146) 50th 7th
Rebounds per game (8.6) 80th 6th
Offensive Rebounds (59 / 3.5) 3rd
Defensive Rebounds (87 / 5.1) 9th
Brandi Beasley
Assists (66) 131st 15th
Assists per Game (3.9) 177th 15th
Defensive Rebounds (85 / 5.0) 10th
Minutes Played (590:00) 38th 5th
Minutes per game (34.71) 83rd 3rd
B1G WEEKLY HONOR
Fighting Illini freshman Petra Holešínská was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Jan. 9. The weekly honor is the first for Holešínská in her career and the first for an Illini this season. She led the Illini with a career-high 21 points on 5-for-6 shooting from three-point range in a 78-41 victory over Rutgers. Holešínská has now netted a career-best five three-pointers in two games this season, and has scored in double-figures in three consecutive contests. Holešínská also tallied eight rebounds and a steal in the matchup. She is averaging 17 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game in Big Ten Play, shooting 69-percent from distance.
OPENING B1G WITH A BANG
Illinois got off to a successful start to Big Ten play with a 70-65 victory over Iowa. Prior to this year, Illinois had not won its Big Ten opener since topping Minnesota (64-50) in the 2010-11 season.
The Illini opened Big Ten play recording a season-high 15 steals against the Hawkeyes, and forcing the opponents to a season-high 23 turnovers.
Illinois shot 43-percent from the floor against the Hawkeyes, good for the seventh time this season the Orange and Blue have shot better than 40-percent from the field. The Illini are now 5-2 when shooting 40-percent or higher.
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, Dec. 26. Wittinger averaged 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game on the road against both Central Michigan and Ohio, 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.
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 10 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 2.6 blocks per game this season, and has accumulated 44 blocks, almost as many as her 50 total from last season. Wittinger currently ranks ninth all-time at Illinois for her 94 career blocks.
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 second on the team for her 11.2 points per game this year. Beasley has scored in double-digits in 10 games and earned her first career double-double against Wake Forest.
Beasley has dished three or more assists in 12 games this year, leading the team in dimes in 10 games. She currently has a team-leading 64 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 33 points per game so far this year, good for 52-percent of Illinois' scoring, led by Beasley, who averages 11.2 points per game.
Illinois has seen three freshmen score in double-digits in three games this season, against Wake Forest, USC Upstate and Rutgers. 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. The Illini freshmen contributed 56 of Illinois' 78 points against Rutgers. At least one freshman has scored in double-figures in Illinois' last 15 games.
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 four consecutive games, from Dec. 2-17. The Illini have shot better than 40-percent from the field in nine games this year, and better than 45-percent in three of those contests including a season-high 50.9-percent against Rutgers.
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 production 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 nine games.
Illinois' bench is averaging 16 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 5.4 points per game off the bench.
The Illini bench contributed 24 points against Rutgers, good for its sixth 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 again outdid herself against Rutgers, dropping 21 points on 5-for-6 shooting from downtown. Her 17 first-half points surpassed Rutgers' 16 first half-points as a team. Holešínská was named Big Ten Freshman of the week for her performance in the Illini victory.
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 fourth on the team, posting 7.9 points and 4.1 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 17 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 five 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 five 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).
Ten Illini opponents have shot below 40-percent from the floor this season, including the Iowa Hawkeyes in Illinois' Big Ten opener and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights who shot 25.9-percent from the floor.
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 29-for-33 (.879) 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 six games this season and lead the Big Ten with their 75.8-percent free throw shooting, 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 14.4 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 six 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 10 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 and 12th all-time. 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 82 appearances and earned nine starts. She has dished 39 assists and grabbed 27 steals while scoring 122 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 opened 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
