PREVIEW
The Fighting Illini women's basketball team travels to Lincoln, Neb., for a Saturday (Feb. 22) afternoon matchup with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
The Illini own an 11-15 overall record on the season after finishing off the nonconference portion of their schedule with a 9-2 record, marking the best 11-game start for Illinois since the 2006-07 season. In their last outing on Wednesday (Feb. 19), the Illini dropped an 80-59 decision against Michigan at Crisler Center. Illinois used a hot-shooting first half to take a 42-41 halftime, but the host Wolverines opened the second half on a 12-2 run and held the Fighting Illini to 6-for-26 (.230) FGs in the second half to pull away for the win. Senior guard Brandi Beasley led the Illinois offense with a 21-point scoring outburst, including 3-for-5 from three-point range, to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Senior forward Ali Andrews also reached double-figures scoring with 10 points, including two first-half three-pointers. Freshman forward Kennedi Myles pulled down nine total rebounds, including six on the offensive glass, to lead the Illini..
Nebraska enters Saturday's matchup with a 16-11 record and sits 10th in the Big Ten with a 6-10 mark after losing 65-52 at Ohio State on Wednesday. The Cornhuskers have two players averaging double-digit points, led by Leigha Brown at 13.6 per game. Kate Cain ranks as the Huskers' top rebounder, pulling down 7.7 boards per contest. As a team, the Huskers are averaging 69.6 points per game on a .421 shooting percentage, while holding their opponents to 64.6 points per contest.
UP NEXT
Illinois returns to State Farm Center to play host to the Michigan State Spartans on Wednesday (Feb. 26) at 7 p.m. CT.
NOTES
- Redshirt junior Petra Holešínská ranks tied for 13th in the conference with 13.8 points per game and sits third the Big Ten with a .427 three-point shooting percentage.
- Holešínská recently moved into fifth all-time in program history. After draining four three-pointers in the win at Penn State, she added two more in the Illini's most recent game at Michigan to move her career total to 157 three-pointers. Mandy Cunningham (1990-94) is next in Holešínská's path and is in fourth place with 168 treys. Senior Ali Andrews sits is tied with Kylie Simons (2015-16) for sixth all-time at Illinois with 149 treys.
- Freshman Kennedi Myles ranks tied for sixth in the Big Ten with 8.4 rebounds per game, eighth-most among all Division I freshmen, while also sitting tied for fourth with 2.1 steals per game in the Big Ten.
- Myles' six double-doubles ties a Illinois freshman record for double-doubles in a season.
- Senior Brandi Beasley is fourth in Illinois history with 430 career assists.
- Beasley also ranks among the career leaders in scoring, sitting 16th with 1,340 career points.
- Illinois has three freshmen - Myles, Jeanae Terry, and Jada Peebles - contributing major minutes. Those three have combined for 31% of the Illini's points, 37% of their rebounds, 45% of the team's assists, 49% of steals and 49% of blocks.
- The Illini finished the nonconference with a 9-2 record, the best start to a season since 2006-07.
- Head coach Nancy Fahey ranks 12th among NCAA active head coaches in career victories (767).
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 in 2018-19, 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.
TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets for the 2019-20 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.
