University of Illinois
No. 16 Missouri
Illini to Close Nonconference Slate at Missouri
December 20, 2017 | Women's Basketball
| Game 14 : Illinois (9-4) at No. 16 Missouri (11-1) | |
|---|---|
| When |
Friday, Dec. 22, 2017 | 12:00 PM |
| Where |
Mizzou Arena | Columbia Mo. |
| Live Links | Watch | Listen | Live Stats |
| Buy Tickets | |
| 2017-18 Information | Illinois Record Book | Illinois Game Notes | Missouri Game Notes |
QUICK HITS
THE COACHES
ILLINOIS: Nancy Fahey // 9-4 at Illinois (1st year) // 746-137 overall (32nd year)
MISSOURI: Robin Pingeton // 134-101 at Missouri (8th year) // 469-258 overall (23rd year)
SERIES NOTES vs. MISSOURI
Series Record: Illinois leads, 8-3
Last Meeting: November 19, 2008 // Illinois 65, Missouri 55 // Champaign, Ill.
Series Streak: W-8
Series in Champaign: Tied, 2-2
Series in Columbia: Illinois leads, 3-1
Fahey vs. Missouri: 0-0
Illinois is...
...9-4 on the season and in the Nancy Fahey era
...closing nonconference play at Missouri on Friday
...on a four-game winning streak
...led in scoring and rebounding by Alex Wittinger
...ranked second in the B1G for its 75.8-percent free throw shooting
...led in FT shooting by Brandi Beasley (38-of-45)
• FRIDAY'S GAME: Illinois is set to close nonconference play at Missouri on Friday. The game will tipoff at noon CT and be streamed live on SEC Network+.
• COMING UP: The Orange and Blue open Big Ten play at Maryland on December 28 and will host Northwestern in Champaign on New Year's Eve.
• LAST TIME OUT: Fighting Illini women's basketball used a dominant second half performance to defeat the Austin Peay Governors, 59-47, on Saturday, extending their winning streak to four games. Sophomore Brandi Beasley led the way for the Illini, scoring all 16 of her points in the second half. Junior Jaelyne Kirkpatrick also racked up double-figure scoring numbers with a season-best 10 points, while junior Alex Wittinger posted her sixth double-double of the season, recording 10 points and hauling in 11 rebounds. Wittinger also blocked three shots, increasing her career total to 158 and passing Kendra Gantt for fourth on the Illinois career blocked shots list.
• SCOUTING MISSOURI: The Missouri Tigers are 11-1 on the season, riding an 11-game winning streak. The squad suffered its only loss to Western Kentucky to open the 2017-18 campaign. The team is led in scoring by Sophie Cunningham, who tallies 17.9 points per game for the Tigers. Jordan Frericks and Cierra Porter also average double-figure scoring numbers, and Porter leads the program in rebounding, averaging 10.4 boards per game. Missouri averages 72.7 points per game on 46.6-percent shooting.
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 425 total minutes played this season rank 22nd in the country and ninth in the Big Ten. Beasley comes in at fourth in the Big Ten for her 84.4-percent free throw shooting. Her 3.6 assists per game check in at No. 13 in the league, while her 47 total assists come in at No. 15.
Junior Alex Wittinger ranks third in the Big Ten 4.2 offensive boards per game and for her 2.6 blocked shots per game. Her 34 blocks this season check in at No. 6 in the nation as well. Wittinger leads the Illini, averaging 9.4 total rebounds per game, which checks in at sixth in the Big Ten. Her 122 boards this year rank 18th in the nation and fourth in the league. The Delano, Minnesota, native, has netted 74 field goals this season, putting herself at No. 12 in the Big Ten and No. 52 in the country.
Sophomore Ali Andrews has netted 19-of-46 from distance this season, and her 41.3-percent three-point shooting checks in at No. 7 in the Big Ten.
As a team, the Orange and Blue rank second in the Big Ten for their 75.8-percent free throw shooting and eighth for their 39.6 rebounds per game. Illinois' 12.5 offensive boards per game check in at eighth overall, and the squad's 4.4 blocked shots per game come in seventh. The Illini are ranked seventh in the league, holding opponents to just 37.5-percent shooting.
PROTECTING THE DISTANCE
Illinois has been tough defensively as of late. The Orange and Blue have held each of their last four opponents to less than 30-percent shooting from three-point range. The Illini have held six opponents to 30-percent or worse shooting from distance this season, including holding Chicago State to just 19-percent. Not only that, but the Illini have recorded more blocked shots than every opponent this season and have outrebounded their opponent in all but three games this season.
SECOND HALF SURGE
Perseverance has been key for the Illini this season as the Orange and Blue have played strong in the second half of games. Illinois' leading scorers Brandi Beasley and Alex Wittinger are averaging three points more per game in the second half versus the first half of games. As a team, Illinois shoots 41-percent in the second half of games, compared to 39-percent from the floor in the opening half. UI outrebounds its opponents by two boards per game in the second half,
HAPPY AT HOME
The State Farm Center has been a difficult place for opponents to play this season as Illinois has a 6-2 record on Lou Henson Court so far this year. Illinois is shooting just under 40-percent from the floor at home (39.5) 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 8.1 steals per game at the State Farm Center, also forcing more than 16 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 19 treys this year, shooting 41.3-percent from beyond the arc. She ranks seventh 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. She has 34 rejections through 13 games this season, a number that currently ranks sixth in the country. Wittinger has recorded at least one block in every game this season and in each of her last 45 games played, dating back to Feb. 24, 2016. She has recorded five or more blocks in four career games.
In her first 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, 2017 and also set a new single-game record with her eight rejections against Wright State last season.
Illinois Career Blocked Shots List
1. 271 Karisma Penn 2009-13
2. 231 Jenna Smith 2006-10
3. 163 Lacey Simpson 2005-10
4. 158 Alex Wittinger 2016-
5. 156 Kendra Gantt 1981-85
DISHING IT OUT
Illini sophomore Brandi Beasley leads Illinois with her 47 assists this season, along with junior Jaelyne Kirkpatrick who has passed out 34 dimes. Beasley ranks 15th 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 (44).
FREE THROW FEST
The Orange and Blue rank second in the Big Ten for their 75.8-percent free throw shooting this season. The Illini have knocked down 150-of-198 foul shots, led by Brandi Beasley who has netted 38-of-45 from the stripe. Beasley's 84.4-percent free throw shooting ranks eighth in the league. Beasley has been perfect from the charity stripe in five games this year. Eight Illini are shooting 70-percent or better from the free throw line. Illinois' accuracy improves as the game gets further along, as the Orange and Blue are shooting 78.6-percent from the charity stripe in the second half of games, compared to 71-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 when coming off the bench, 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 Cierra Rice contributes 4.1 points per game. The Illini bench accounts for 19 points per game, highlighted by a season-best 44 points against Indiana State. Illinois' bench averages 14.4 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.
