PREVIEW
OPENING TIP: Illinois (2-8, 0-7 B1G) hosts the second of back-to-back games at State Farm Center, welcoming Penn State (4-7, 1-6 B1G) for a Thursday night contest. Tipoff between the Illini and the Lady Lions is set for 6 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on Big Ten Network+ with Scott Sudikoff (play-by-play) and Anthony Pasquale (analyst). Mike Koon will call the action for the Illini on WDWS 1400 AM. Streaming audio and live stats are also available at FightingIllini.com.
ABOUT PENN STATE: Penn State enters Thursday's game with a 4-7 overall record, including a 1-6 mark in Big Ten play. The Lady Lions are coming off of an 85-76 home loss to Minnesota. Penn State defeated Minnesota (69-60) on the road in their first matchup of the season on Jan. 10 to notch their first league win. With graduate transfer and leading scorer Kelly Jekot (15.9 points per game) out for the remainder of the season, sophomore G Makenna Marisa (14.2 ppg) and senior F Johnasia Cash (13.2 ppg) lead the Penn State offense. Cash, in her first season as a transfer from SMU, also ranks as the Lady Lions' top rebounder at 8.5 boards per game, and has notched double-doubles in three of her last four contests. Marisa leads the team with an average of 4.5 assists per game. The Lady Lions average 73.6 points per game, which ranks 66th nationally, while giving up an average of 74.2 points per contest (303rd). Penn State also ranks among the top 100 in the NCAA in three-point field-goal percentage defense (26th, .251) and in overall field-goal percentage defense (87th, .427).
SERIES VS. PENN STATE: Thursday's matchup is the 54th in the series between the Illini and the Lady Lions. Penn State holds a 38-16 edge, including a 13-10 lead in games played in Champaign. The Illini won the most recent matchup, a 70-66 road win on Feb. 9, 2020. Illinois' last home win in the series came Dec. 31, 2005 (69-60); Penn State has won six straight in Champaign.
LAST TIME VS. PENN STATE: Kennedi Myles (14 points, nine rebounds) and Jeanae Terry (11 points, seven assists) posted impressive efforts behind a career-high 28 points from Petra Holesinska to help the Fighting Illini tough out a 70-66 road win at Penn State in their most recent meeting, Feb. 9, 2020. The win marked the Illini's first over PSU since 2015, and stands as the programs' last Big Ten win, a stretch of 12 regular-season league games entering Thursday's contest.
UP NEXT: The Fighting Illini travel to Madison, Wis., this weekend for a Sunday matchup against Wisconsin at Kohl Center. Tipoff between the Illini and the Badgers (3-10, 3-6 B1G) - who host Nebraska on Thursday - is set for 2 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on Big Ten Network +. Mike Koon will call the action for the Illini on WDWS 1400 AM. Streaming audio and live stats are also available at FightingIllini.com.
FULL GAME NOTES (PDF)
