QUICK HITS
THE COACHES
ILLINOIS: Nancy Fahey // 8-4 at Illinois (1st year) // 745-137 overall (32nd year)
AUSTIN PEAY: David Midlick // 31-38 at Austin Peay (3rd year) // 75-54 overall (4th year)
SERIES NOTES vs. AUSTIN PEAY
Series Record: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Series Streak: First Meeting
Series in Champaign: First Meeting
Series at Austin Peay: First Meeting
Fahey vs. Austin Peay: First Meeting
Illinois is...
...8-4 on the season and in the Nancy Fahey era
...offering $2 admission with a donation to Toys for Tots
...welcoming summer campers and scout troups on Saturday
...led in scoring and rebounding by Alex Wittinger
...ranked second in the B1G for its 75.7-percent free throw shooting
...led in FT shooting by Brandi Beasley (33-of-40)
• SATURDAY'S GAME: The Illini will welcome Austin Peay on Saturday, December 16 at 2 p.m. The game will mark Scout Night, offering patches for scout troops in attendance. Illinois will also welcome back its summer campers for the game.
• COMING UP: Illinois will close the nonconference slate at Missouri on December 22. The top-25 matchup is set for noon in Columbia, Missouri. The Orange and Blue open Big Ten play at Maryland on December 28.
• LAST TIME OUT: Illinois women's basketball outlasted the Detroit Mercy Titans on Sunday afternoon to earn a 73-65 victory and improve to 8-4 on the season. Led by junior Alex Wittinger and sophomore Brandi Beasley, the Fighting Illini scored a season-high 36 points in the paint and made a season-best 20 free throws. Wittinger recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds, also posting four blocks and two steals in the contest. Beasley came through with a season-high with 18 points, and also racked up four rebounds and four assists. Junior Jaylene Kirkpatrick hauled in a season-best six rebounds and added five points for the Illini.
• SCOUTING AUSTIN PEAY: With a 7-2 record this season, the Austin Peay Governors are coming to Champaign after an 81-68 loss to Western Illinois. Three Govs are scoring in double-digits this season, led by Keisha Gregory who averages 12.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Both Brianah Ferby and Falon Baker average more than 10 points per game as well. The Governors are outscoring opponents by an average of six points per game this year and shooting 45-percent from the field.
ILLINI IN THE LEAGUE
Illini sophomore Brandi Beasley was tops among players in the country for her minutes played last season, and she is continuing that trend this year. Beasley's 393 total minutes played this season rank eighth in the country and third in the Big Ten. Beasley comes in at sixth in the Big Ten for her 82.5-percent free throw shooting. Her 3.8 assists per game check in at No. 14 in the league, while her 45 total assists come in at No. 11.
Junior Alex Wittinger ranks third in the Big Ten 4.0 offensive boards per game and for her 2.6 blocked shots per game. Her 31 blocks this season check in at No. 5 in the nation as well. Wittinger leads the Illini, averaging 9.3 total rebounds per game, which checks in at seventh in the Big Ten. Her 111 boards this year rank 16th in the nation and third in the league. The Delano, Minnesota, native, has netted 71 field goals this season, putting herself at No. 9 in the Big Ten and No. 29 in the country.
Sophomore Ali Andrews has netted 18-of-42 from distance this season, and her 42.9-percent three-point shooting checks in at No. 3 in the Big Ten.
As a team, the Orange and Blue rank second in the Big Ten for their 75.7-percent free throw shooting and ninth for their 39.28rebounds per game. Illinois' 12.3 offensive boards per game check in at ninth overall, and the squad's 4.8 blocked shots per game come in eighth.
PROTECTING THE DISTANCE
Illinois has been tough defensively as of late. The Orange and Blue have held each of their last three opponents to less than 30-percent shooting from three-point range. The Illini have held five opponents to less than 30-percent shooting from distance this season, including holding Chicago State to just 19-percent. Not only that, but the Illini have outrebounded their opponent in all but three games this season,
HAPPY AT HOME
The State Farm Center has been a difficult place for opponents to play this season as Illinois has a 5-2 record on Lou Henson Court so far this year. Illinois is shooting just under 40-percent from the floor at home (39.47) and knocks down 76.3-percent of its free throws while in Champaign. Alex Wittinger and Brandi Beasley lead Illinois in scoring at home, and Kennedy Cattenhead is shooting 57.6-percent from the floor. UI is averaging 8.4 steals per game at the State Farm Center, also forcing more than 15 opponent turnovers per matchup.
ANDREWS AT A DISTANCE
Illini sophomore Ali Andrews was on fire against Wichita State, knocking down 6-of-8 shots from distance, and going 9-for-11 from the field. She used a career-high 26 points to help lift the Illini over the Shockers. Andrews was also 2-for-2 from the free throw line, and grabbed four rebounds.
Andrews has netted a career-best six three-pointers in two career games (Nebraska, 3/1/2017), and the performance is tied for the sixth-best for an Illini in school history. The Lake in the Hills, Illinois, native has netted a team-leading 18 treys this year, shooting 42.9-percent from beyond the arc. She ranks third in the Big Ten for her three-point shooting percentage.
BLOCKING UP THE RECORD BOOKS
In her junior season, Alex Wittinger has already had quite the career for the Illini. In her two years on the court, the Delano, Minnesota, native racked up 124 blocks and climbed to the No. 6 spot on Illinois' all-time career blocks list. She carded 74 rejections last season to rank second all-time at Illinois and she led the Big Ten with her 2.6 blocked shots per game. Wittinger became just the eighth player in Illinois history to record 100 career blocks on Thursday, Jan. 26, and also set a new single-game record with her eight rejections against Wright State.
She has 31 rejections through 12 games this season, a number that currently ranks fifth in the country. Wittinger has recorded at least one block in every game this season and in each of her last 44 games played, dating back to Feb. 24, 2016. She has recorded five or more blocks in four career games.
Illinois Career Blocked Shots List
1. 271 Karisma Penn 2009-13
2. 231 Jenna Smith 2006-10
3. 163 Lacey Simpson 2005-10
4. 156 Kendra Gantt 1981-85
5. 155 Alex Wittinger 2016-
DISHING IT OUT
Illini sophomore Brandi Beasley leads Illinois with her 45 assists this season, along with junior Jaelyne Kirkpatrick who has passed out 33 dimes. Beasley ranks 11th in the Big Ten for her total assists this season, also sitting among the top 100 players in the country. Beasley has recorded at least one assist in every game of her career (43).
FREE THROW FEST
The Orange and Blue rank second in the Big Ten for their 75.7-percent free throw shooting this season. The Illini have knocked down 137-of-181 foul shots, led by Brandi Beasley who has netted 33-of-40 from the stripe. Beasley's 82.5-percent free throw shooting ranks eighth in the league. Eight Illini are shooting 70-percent or better from the free throw line, including freshman Addaya Moore (2-2) who is perfect from the line. Illinois' accuracy improves as the game gets further along, as the Orange and Blue are shooting 78-percent from the charity stripe in the second half of games, compared to 72-percent in the opening half.
PETRA OFF THE PINE
Sophomore Petra Holešínská leads the Illini off the bench this season, averaging 8.7 points and 3.6 boards per game. She's racked up five steals and knocked down 12 three-pointers, including a season-high four against Indiana State. Senior Alli Ball is shooting 46-percent from the floor off the bench so far this season, and Courtney Joens contributes 3.5 points per game. The Illini bench accounts for 20 points per game, highlighted by a season-best 44 points against Indiana State. Illinois' bench averages 14.5 rebounds per contest and forces almost five opponent turnovers per game.
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
With five newcomers and 11 underclassmen on the roster this season, the Orange and Blue boast one of the youngest rosters in the Big Ten. The Illini are composed of 73-percent underclassmen on the court, meaning redshirt sophomore or younger, and only Purdue has a larger percentage of young players. The Boilermakers have 10 underclassmen on their 13-person roster (76-percent). The next-youngest squad in the league is Northwestern, who is 66-percent composed of underclassmen.
A NEW ERA
Illinois opened the Nancy Fahey era of women's basketball on November 10 with a victory over the Fort Wayne Mastodons. A four-time hall of fame inductee, Fahey boasts 744 career victories and led Washington University to five Division III National Championship titles. Fahey was hired as the ninth head women's basketball coach in Illinois history on March 22, 2017.
BEASLEY'S BREAKOUT YEAR
Sophomore Brandi Beasley returns for the Illini this year, looking to build on a breakout freshman campaign. A 2017 Big Ten All-Freshman Team honoree, Beasley was among team leaders for the 13.6 points per game last season and also checked in at second among all Big Ten freshmen. She dished 120 assists on the season, becoming one of just four freshmen in Illinois history to record 100 dimes in their rookie season. Beasley was among league and national leaders for her 36.2 minutes played per game. She played a full 40 minutes in six contests.
Holešínská's Hot Shooting
Sophomore Petra Holešínská returns this season after a hot-shooting freshman campaign. The Vracov, Czech Republic, native was among the top three-point shooters in the Big Ten during her freshman season, leading all the league's freshmen with her 45.6-percent three-point shooting in conference play. Holešínská netted 54 treys during 2016-17, a number that ranks third all-time among Illinois freshmen. She shot 35.5-percent from distance on the season, which ranks fifth all-time on Illinois' freshman records list.
SENIOR STORIES
The Illini are looking to redshirt senior Kennedy Cattenhead for direction this season as the Bolingbrook, Illinois, native, has appeared in 87 games for the Orange and Blue. Cattenhead has been a staple in the starting lineup for two seasons, and earned the start in all of Illinois' games this season. She will look to continue her leadership both on and off the court.
Senior Alli Ball also brings experience to Illinois' lineup as she transferred from Akron after spending three years playing for the Zips. She appeared in 90 games for Akron, earning 13 starts throughout her career. Ball had quite the debut for Illinois, leading the team with 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
KIRKPATRICK IN CANADA
Junior Jaelyne Kirkpatrick spent her summer traveling the world as she represented her home country on the Canada Development Women's National Team. Kirkpatrick traveled to both Japan and Australia this August for the U24 Women Basketball League Four Nations 2017 Tournament and the Taipei 2017 29th Summer Universiade. Kirkpatrick played in nine games through the two tournaments, averaging 20 minutes per game. She dished 22 assists overall, and averaged four points per game.
FAHEY SIGNS THREE FOR 2018-19
Head Coach Nancy Fahey announced her first recruiting class on Nov. 8, welcoming two top-100 recruits in Mackenzie Blazek and Arieal Scott, and a national team player in J-Naya Ephraim.
MACKENZIE BLAZEK | 6-3 | Forward | Franklin, Indiana | Whiteland Community High School
2017 IBCA Underclass All-State honoree,,,2016 IBCA Underclass Large School All-State honoree...Ranked No. 90 overall by ESPN Hoopgurlz...Daily Journal 2016-17 Player of the Year...Averaged 18 points and 13.4 rebounds per game for Whiteland last season
J-NAYA EPHRAIM | 5-9 | Guard | St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Southern Durham High School
Averaged 16.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game for Southern Durham last season and tallied 16 double-doubles...Represented the Virgin Islands on both the U16 and U17 National Teams at the FIBA World University Games (2013-15)...NCBCA 2017 First Team All-District...2017 Big Eight Conference Player of the Year...Chose Illinois over Temple and James Madison
ARIEAL SCOTT | 5-9 | Guard | Urbana, Illinois | Urbana High School
2016 IBCA First Team 1A/2A All-State...No. 39-ranked recruit in the country according to Prospects Nation...Ranked among the top 100 players in the country by ESPN Hoopgurlz...Two-time News Gazette All-Area First Team honoree...Chose Illinois over Missouri, USC and Washington, among others
ILLINI ON THE NETWORK
Five of Illinois' contests this season will air live on the Big Ten Network, and the remaining conference games will be streamed on BTN Plus. Illinois will have four home games televised live on the network, beginning January 7 against Iowa. Illinois will also host Michigan State on BTN at 8 p.m. on January 16. The Illini will also appear on the Big Ten Network January 28 against Wisconsin and February 4 against Purdue at the State Farm Center. Illinois will also play one road game on BTN, at Michigan on January 20.
All BTN on-air games can be streamed via the web, smartphones, tablets and connected devices on BTN2Go, BTN's digital extension. More than 100 additional games also will be streamed on BTN Plus on BTN2Go, and many of those will air on delay on BTN as part of the Student U initiative.
ILLINI WBB TICKETS
Illinois women's basketball season and single game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at FightingIllini.com, in person at the Illinois ticket office at State Farm Center or by phone at 1-866-ILLINI-1. General admission season tickets start at $30 each, while reserved season tickets are available for $75. Single game tickets can be purchased for $5.
