University of Illinois
Wisconsin
Illini Set to Pack the House Against Wisconsin
January 26, 2018 | Women's Basketball
| Game 23: Illinois (9-13, 0-8 B1G) vs. Wisconsin (8-14, 1-8 B1G) | |
|---|---|
| When |
Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018 | 3 PM |
| Where |
State Farm Center | Champaign, Ill. |
| TV | Big Ten Network: Jordan Bernfield & Shelley Till |
| Buy Tickets |
Free Admission! |
| Live Links | Watch | Listen | Live Stats |
| 2017-18 Information | Illinois Record Book | Illinois Game Notes | Wisconsin Game Notes |
| Promotions | Pack the House Free Admission Halftime: Teddy Bear Toss Postgame: Autographs Oskee Rewards - Extra Points |
Illinois is...
...9-13 on the season and in the Nancy Fahey era
...hosting Wisconsin for the annual Pack the House game on Sunday
...giving free admission for all fans to Sunday's game
...live on BTN for the fourth time this season
...averaging 4.7 blocked shots per game
...led in scoring and rebounding by Alex Wittinger
QUICK HITS
• SUNDAY'S GAME: The Orange and Blue return to Champaign for the annual Pack the House game on Jan. 28. Admission is free for all fans and reserved tickets can be secured for free at tickets.fightingillini.com. The matchup will air live on BTN, and the Illini will hold a teddy bear toss to benefit Crisis Nursery at halftime.
• COMING UP: Illinois heads back out on the road for a Thursday contest at Nebraska. The Orange and Blue take on the Huskers in Lincoln at 7 p.m. on BTN Plus.
• LAST TIME OUT: Fighting Illini junior Alex Wittinger reached several milestones on Tuesday evening, scoring her 1,000th career point on a last-second free throw. Wittinger led Illinois with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 blocked shots. Wittinger's 11 rejections mark a new Illinois school record, and she is the second Illini to record a triple-double in school history and the first since 1982. Sophomore Brandi Beasley and redshirt sophomore Cierra Rice joined Wittinger in double-figure scoring numbers on Tuesday, adding 15 points and 10 points, respectively. The Illini kept things close to Penn State throughout the contest but could not overcome the Lady Lions, falling 68-59.
• SCOUTING WISCONSIN: The Badgers bring an 8-14 record to the State Farm Center on Sunday, coming off of a loss at Indiana. Wisconsin earned its only conference victory over Northwestern this season. The Badgers are led in scoring by Cayla McCorris (14.4 ppg) and in rebounding (7.5 rpg( by Marsha Howard, who is also averaging 11.4 points per game. Wisconsin is shooting just 29.2-percent from distance as a team and forcing 13.3 opponent turnovers per game.
A GRAND OLE TIME
Illini junior Alex Wittinger reached another career milestone on Jan. 23 at Penn State. In addition to becoming one of just eight Illini to surpass 100 career blocks, the Delano, Minn., native earned her 1,000th career point. Wittinger is Illinois' 29th 1,000-point scorer and the 14th fastest Illini to reach the millennium mark.
Name Years Played Games to reach 1,000 points
1. Ashley Berggren (1994-98) 56 games
2. Lisa Robinson (1978-92) 61 games
Chatrice White (2014-16) 61 games
4. Susan Blauser (1998-00) 64 games
5. Kendra Gantt (1981-85) 65 games
6. Jenna Smith (2006-10) 66 games
7. Allison Curtin (1998-01) 66 games
8. Jonelle Polk (1983-87) 70 games
9. Mandy Cunningham (1990-94) 72 games
Karisma Penn (2009-13) 72 games
11. Lynnette Robinson (1978-82) 77 games
Angie McClellan (1984-88) 77 games
Angelina Williams (2001-05) 77 games
14. Alex Wittinger (2015-present) 79 games
15. Alicia Sheeler (1996-99) 82 games
TRIPLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE
Illini junior Alex Wittinger reached several milestones on January 23 at Penn State. In addition to recording her 1,000th career point, she carded the second triple-double in Illinois' history with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 11 blocked shots. The last Illini player to record a triple-double was Kim Brombolich on Jan. 22, 1982. Wittinger is just second player in the Big Ten Conference to record a triple-double this season and 17th player in the nation. She recorded the fifth points-rebounds-blocks triple-double in the nation this season. Wittinger is the first Illini in program history to earn a triple-double with points, rebounds and blocked shots.
BLOCKS RECORD
Wittinger's 11 blocked shots at Penn State mark a milestone in their own. That number sets an Illinois single-game record for rejections, surpassing the previous record of eight which Wittinger set last season against Wright State. Her 11 blocks at Penn State also mark the most for an NCAA women's opposing basketball player at Bryce Jordan Center. The 11 blocked shots is tied for the sixth-most in a Big Ten game in conference history and tied for the second-most blocks in a game this season. Wittinger moved into eighth place on the Illinois single-season blocked shots list with 60 this season.
FAHEY'S ALMA MATER COMES TO TOWN
Illini head coach Nancy Fahey is familiar with the Wisconsin Badgers. A Wisconsin native and 1981 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Fahey was a four-year letterwinner (1977-81) for the Badgers. She started two years at point guard, and served as a captain in her senior season. Fahey led the team in assists during the 1980-81 (117) and 1981-82 (124). She ranks ninth all-time at Wisconsin for her 4.45 assists per game in Big Ten play during the 1980-81 season.
ILLINI IN THE RANKINGS
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 726 total minutes played this season rank 5th in the Big Ten and 33rd in the nation. Her 3.6 assists per game check in at No. 14 in the league, while her 80 total assists come in at No. 12.
Junior Alex Wittinger ranks third in the Big Ten 4.0 offensive boards per game and for her 2.73 blocked shots per game. Her 60 blocks this season check in at No. 8 in the nation. Wittinger leads the Illini, averaging 8.9 total rebounds per game, which checks in at sixth in the Big Ten. Her 195 boards this year rank 26th in the nation and fifth in the league. The Delano, Minnesota, native, has netted 134 field goals this season, putting herself at No. 10 in the Big Ten and No. 51 in the country. Her 13.8 points per game rank 17th in the Big Ten, while her 48.7-percent shooting ranks seventh.
As a team, the Orange and Blue rank ninth in the Big Ten for their 71.9-percent free throw shooting and Illinois' 4.7 blocked shots per game check in at fifth overall. The Illini are averaging 12.3 offensive rebounds per game in league play, which comes in at No. 8 in the league. Illinois' 123 three-pointers this season rank ninth as well as the team's 805 total rebounds.
JOENS-ING FOR A SPARK
Illini sophomore Courtney Joens has provided a spark off the bench for Illinois as of late, so much so that she earned her first career start against Michigan State. Joens has appeared in all 22 of Illinois' contests and averages 3.8 points per game. Joens is averaging 6.0 points per game, however, when she's in the starting lineup. She leads Illinois off the bench, however, with nine steals, and posted a season-best 13 points against Nebraska.
ILLINI IN BIG TEN PLAY
Junior Alex Wittinger and sophomore Brandi Beasley continue to lead the Illini through league play. Wittinger is averaging 15.1 points per game in Big Ten play to rank 14th in the league, while Beasley averages 11.3 points per contest. Wittinger has tallied 70 rebounds through seven league games, and comes in at No. 5 in the Big Ten for her 8.8 rebounds per game in league play.
Wittinger leads the league with her 3.3 blocked shots in league play and is third in the league with her 4.3 offensive boards per game in Big Ten play as well. Her 50.5-percent shooting ranks seventh.
Beasley checks in at No. 12 in the Big Ten for her 3.9 assists per game in conference play.
As a team, the Illini average 5.6 thee-pointers per game in Big Ten play to rank eighth, and the team's 32.4-percent shooting from distance ranks eighth as well. The team's 5.3 blocked shots per game in league play come in at No. 3 in the Big Ten, and Illinois' 12.6 offensive boards per game check in at No. 7.
WATCHING WITTINGER
Illini junior Alex Wittinger has been on point over the last five games as she is averaging 15.4 points per game on 47.2-percent shooting. Wittinger has grabbed a team-leading 21 offensive boards during that span, and 9.0 total boards per game. She has led Illinois in scoring in four of the last five games, and in rebounding in the last seven games. Sophomore Brandi Beasley is also among team leaders in the last five games, averaging 11.0 points per game in that time. She's knocked down 11-of-13 from the charity stripe and has dished 20 assists. Redshirt sophomore Cierra Rice is averaging 8.8 points per game over the last five games, including posting a season-high 13 points against Michigan State.
HAPPY AT HOME
Illinois has grabbed six wins on Lou Henson Court so far this year, as the Illini are playing strongly at home. UI is shooting just over 40-percent from the floor at home (40.2) and knocks down 73.1-percent of its free throws while in Champaign. Alex Wittinger and Brandi Beasley lead Illinois in scoring at home, and Kennedy Cattenhead is shooting 56.1-percent from the floor. UI is averaging 7.3 steals per game at the State Farm Center, also forcing 14.3 opponent turnovers per matchup.
DISHING IT OUT
Illini sophomore Brandi Beasley leads Illinois with her 80 assists this season, along with junior Jaelyne Kirkpatrick who has passed out 35 dimes. Beasley ranks 14th in the Big Ten for her 3.6 assists per game, and has recorded at least one assist in every game of her career (53). She has passed out five or more assists in four games this season and in 14 career games. Her 3.9 assists per game in league play rank 12 in the Big Ten.
BLOCKING UP THE RECORD BOOKS
In her junior season, Alex Wittinger has already had quite the career for the Illini. She has 60 rejections through 22 games this season, a number that currently ranks 8th in the country. Wittinger has recorded at least one block in all but two games this season. She has recorded five or more blocks in five career games and reset her Illinois single-game blocks record with 11 rejections at Penn State. That number also reset the Bryce Jordan Center blocked shots record.
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. 184 Alex Wittinger 2016-
4. 163 Lacey Simpson 2005-10
5. 156 Kendra Gantt 1981-85
BLOCK IT OUT
The Illini are big on rejection lately, as the squad has recorded more blocked shots than its opponent in 15 games and hold an 8-7 record when out-blocking the competition. Illinois has tallied the same number of blocked shots as its opponent in five games, including blocking six shots against No. 15 Maryland.
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 29 treys this year, shooting 39.7-percent from beyond the arc.
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.
LOOKING AT THE NON-CON
The Illini closed non-conference play with a 9-5 record, marking the best start to the season since Illinois also earned nine non-conference victories in the 2014-15 campaign (9-3). Illinois won four of its last five games leading up to league play, with the streak marking the most consecutive victories for the Orange and Blue since the start of the 2015-16 season when the program won its first four matchups. Illinois wrapped up non-conference play against 15th-ranked Missouri, marking the first ranked non-conference opponent for the Illini the team topped then-No. 9 Kentucky on Nov. 11, 2014. The Orange and Blue averaged 65.2 points per game and 38.6 rebounds per game in the nonconference, forcing 15.1 opponent turnovers per game.
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 746 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.
