University of Illinois
Holy Cross
Illini WBB Welcomes Holy Cross Saturday
November 8, 2019 | Women's Basketball
| Game 1: Illinois (1-0) vs. Holy Cross (0-0) | |
|---|---|
| When |
Saturday, November 9, 2019 | 2 PM |
| Where |
State Farm Center | Champaign, Illinois |
| Clear Bag Policy | Information |
| Live Links | Watch | Listen | Live Stats |
| Buy Tickets | |
| 2018-19 Information | Illinois Record Book | Illinois Game Notes | Holy Cross Game Notes |
| Promotions |
Giveaways: FREE Illini notebooks to all All-American Kids Club members Ticket Deal: Buy 4 tickets for $15 |
QUICK HITS
THE COACHES
ILLINOIS: Nancy Fahey // 20-42 at Illinois (3rd year) // 757-175 overall (34th year)
HOLY CROSS: Ann McInerney (Interim) // 7-4 at Holy Cross (2nd year) // 181-120 overall (12th year)
SERIES NOTES vs. HOLY CROSS
Series Record: Illinois leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: November 30, 1986 // Illinois 66, Holy Cross 60 // Syracuse, N.Y.
Series Streak: W-1
Series in Champaign: First Meeting
Series in Worcester: None
Fahey vs. Holy Cross: 0-0
Illinois is...
...coming off of a 96-66 win over Chicago State
...hosting Holy Cross for the first time in program history
...3-0 in season-openers under Nancy Fahey
...welcoming four newcomers this season
...returning 10 members from last year's squad
...set to face 10 opponents coming off postseason appearances
...hosting the first of five weekend nonconference matchups
• SATURDAY'S GAME: Illinois returns to action on Saturday, November 9, hosting Holy Cross at 2 p.m. The game will mark the second meeting between the two teams, and the first in Champaign. The Illini will host Kids Club Day on Saturday, giving away free Illini notebooks to all All-American Kids Club Members. Fans can also purchase four tickets for Saturday's game for just $15.
• COMING UP: The Illini will host Austin Peay on Wednesday, Nov. 13 in a 7 p.m. matchup. The game will mark International Student Night, welcoming all University of Illinois international students to sing the traditional 3-in-1 at halftime on the court.
• LAST TIME OUT: Fighting Illini women's basketball opened the 2019-20 campaign on Tuesday morning, with a 96-66 victory over the Chicago State Cougars. Redshirt junior Petra Holešínská led all scorers with a career-high 29 points on the day, and freshman Kennedi Myles closed the contest with 17 points and 15 rebounds in her career debut. Four Illini scored in double-digits, including redshirt senior Cierra Rice (10) and senior Ali Andrews (10).
• SCOUTING HOLY CROSS: The Holy Cross Crusaders are opening the 2019-20 campaign at Illinois, coming off of an 18-13 mark last season. The team returns 11 letterwinners from the 2018-19 campaign, including its top nine scorers. Sophomore Avery LaBarbera was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year last season, and senior Lauren Manis was named the 2019-20 Preseason Player of the Year. Manis led the team last season with her 16.8 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per contest. LaBarbera was also among team leaders for her 11.3 points per game last year.
2019-20 SEASON SLATE
The Orange and Blue are in store for an exciting slate in Nancy Fahey's third season at the helm of the program. The Illini will take on 10 teams who saw postseason action during the 2018-19 season, including Northwestern, who advanced to the 2019 WNIT Championship game. The Orange and Blue are also set to welcome six of those opponents to the State Farm Center this season.
The 2019-20 nonconference slate features nine home contests, including five weekend matchups. Illinois will play an 18-game Big Ten schedule. It is the seventh time in the last 13 years the conference has played an 18-game schedule. Illinois will face five schools both home and away and play the eight remaining schools once. Of the single-play opponents, the Illini will play four at home and four on the road.
The FAHEY ERA CONTINUES
The Illini are in their third season under the direction of head coach Nancy Fahey. In her first season at Illinois, Fahey coached the Orange and Blue to a 9-5 nonconference record, which marked 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. Under Fahey's guidance, Illini junior Alex Wittinger garnered All-Big Ten Second Team honors, and also matched the school record for single-season offensive rebounds (125). Wittinger earned the program's second-ever triple double during the 2017-18 campaign, and set a new single-game record for blocked shots (11).
In her second season at the helm of the Illini, Fahey 's squad opened the year with a 7-0 record on Lou Henson Court for the first time since the 2006-07 season. The Orange and Blue opened the 2018-19 campaign with an 8-3 start in nonconference play, marking a .727 nonconference winning percentage. That number is the highest for an Illini squad since starting the 2014-15 campaign with a 9-5 nonconference record (.750). Fahey's squad has improved statistically in several categories under her leadership. The Orange and Blue averaged seven more points per game last season than in 2017-18, and improved their field goal percentage by more than four percent.
HOT HOLESINSKA
Redshirt junior Petra Holesinska returned with a bang in Tuesday's season opener, leading the team with a career-high 29 points on 9-for-16 shooting and five three-pointers. Her five treys match her previous career-best, and her nine field goals made set a new career mark as well. Holesinska's 29 points are the most for an Illini in a season opener in the 21st century.
MYLES AND MYLES
Freshman Kennedi Myles was also hot for the Illini in Tuesday's season opener, she opened the year with her first career double-double. Myles tallied 17 points and 15 rebounds in the contest, marking the most boards by an Illini since Alex Wittinger grabbed 16 on February 13, 2018 against Ohio State.
ONE OF THE GREATS
Illinois head coach Nancy Fahey is in the midst of quite the storied career. She has accumulated 757 career victories, a number that ranks among the top totals in the NCAA. Her win total currently checks in at No. 19 among all NCAA head coaches, a category that's led by Pat Summitt (1098). Fahey's 757 career victories also rank eighth among current active NCAA Division I head coaches and 11th among all active NCAA head coaches. She has racked up the second-most career victories among active Big Ten head coaches as well. Of active head coaches with more than 700 victories, Fahey's .812 winning percentage ranks second only to Geno Auriemma (.884) and is tied with Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer who boasts a 1067-247 career record.
BRINGING BACK BEASLEY
Among team scoring leaders last season, Brandi Beasley returns for her senior season in 2019-20. Beasley averaged 11.6 points per game on the year in 2018-19, leading the Illini with her 4.9 assists per game. Beasley closed last season wtih 146 total dimes, a number that ranks eighth all-time on Illinois' single-season assists list. She currently sits at No. 6 for her 377 career assists. Beasley ranked fourth in the Big Ten last season for her 4.9 dimes per game.
ANDREWS OUTSIDE THE ARC
Also in her senior season, Illini Ali Andrews returns for Illinois this year. She was among team leaders for her 8.8 points per game last season and for her 38 three-pointers. Andrews has netted 116 treys for the Illini so far in her career at Illinois, which ranks seventh all-time in Illinois' history. Redshirt junior Petra Holesinska is also on that list, having racked up 95 treys so far. She comes in at No. 12.
2019-20 NEWCOMERS
Illinois welcomes four newcomers to the squad for the 2019-20 campaign in Taylor Edwards, Kennedy Myles, Jeanae Terry and Jada Peebles. Edwards joins the Illini squad after spending four seasons with the Illinois softball program. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Myles was a two-year captain at Walnut Hills High school and was honored as an All-Conference player four times in her career. Peebles comes to Champaign from Raleigh, North Carolina where she was the North Atlantic Defensive Player of the Year. Ranked the No. 18 guard in the class of 2019, Terry joins the Orange and Blue from Detroit, Michigan.
All four newcomers made their Illini debut in UI's season opener against Chicago State, with Myles and Peebles earning spots among the starting lineup.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Illini got off to a strong start inside State Farm Center last season, opening the year with a 7-0 record on Lou Henson Court. Prior to the 2018-19 season, the last time an Illinois squad started the year with a 7-0 record at the State Farm Center was the 2006-07 season. Illinois went 7-0 at home to start the 2015-16 campaign, but the first four games were played at Parkland College due to arena renovations.
The Illini shot 44-percent from the floor and outscored opponents opponents by 1.5 points per game inside State Farm Center in 2018-19 season. Then in her junior season, Brandi Beasley was among scoring leaders on her home court, averaging 11.1 points per game. She dished 90 of her 146 dimes at home. Ali Andrews was strong from distance at home in her junior campaign as she made 24 of her 38 treys at home.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Beginning last season, fans attending events at State Farm Center will be permitted to carry one clear plastic or vinyl bag that does not exceed 12"x6"x12", or one clear drawstring bag not to exceed 12"x12", or one, one-gallon clear plastic or zip-lock bag. A small clutch no larger than 4.5" x 7" may also be carried in addition to one clear bag. Diaper bags (with child) and bags approved for medical needs will be permitted after search by security personnel. All other bags, backpacks, totes and coolers are strictly prohibited. To present a safe event for everyone, jackets may be searched upon entry. If prohibited items are found, the item will be confiscated OR the guest may personally return it to their vehicle or otherwise dispose of the item away from the facility. State Farm Center does not check or otherwise safeguard personal belongings. This bag policy is subject to change. Please check the event details for any additional specific event restrictions.
Check here for more information: http://www.statefarmcenter.com/plan-your-visit/clear-bag-policy.
ILLINI ON TV
Five of Illinois' games will air live on television this season, with three featured on the Big Ten Network. The Illini will make their television debut on Dec. 5 at North Carolina, appearing on the ACC Network, and the team will appear on the SEC Network Dec. 20 at Missouri. Illinois will make its Big Ten Network debut on January 6 at Indiana, with a tip time set for 6 p.m. CT. Illinois will have one home game televised live on the network, January 12 against Minnesota. Illinois will take on Northwestern on BTN at on February 29. The game time will be set for either 1 p.m. of 5 p.m. CT. The 2019 Big Ten Tournament will be aired on the Big Ten Network, wcovering the first round through the semifinals from March 4-7, with ESPN2 set to air the tournament championship game on March 8. All of Illinois' remaining games will be live streamed via BTN Plus.
All BTN on-air games can be streamed via the web, smartphones, tablets and connected devices on through the FOX Sports app. More than 100 additional games also will be streamed on BTN+, with a full schedule available online at btnplus.com.
ILLINI WBB TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets for the 2018-19 Fighting Illini women's basketball season are available now. Fans can renew, upgrade or purchase new season tickets online, at the Illinois ticket office located inside the West Main entrance of State Farm Center, or by phone at 1-866-ILLINI-1. General admission women's basketball season tickets are available for $40 each, while the combined women's basketball/volleyball season ticket is $80. Reserved season tickets in sections 101 and 109-113 are also available for $75. Floor seating, located behind the team benches (sections 10-12) is available for just $55 each. A limited number of courtside seats still remain for $100 each.
