PREVIEW
OPENING TIP: Illinois (3-16, 1-15 B1G) makes the short trek to West Lafayette, Ind., for their final road contest of the season at Purdue (6-14, 3-13 B1G) on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff between the Illini and the Boilermakers is set for 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT from Mackey Arena. 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.
ABOUT PURDUE: Purdue enters Sunday's game with a 6-14 overall record, including 3-13 mark in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers have lost eight consecutive games, including the Feb. 7 matchup vs. Illinois, 54-49, in Champaign, and are coming off an 88-59 home loss to No. 8 Maryland on Thursday. Junior G Kayana Traylor paces the Boilermakers' offensive attack at 14.6 points per game. Traylor is one of four Purdue players averaging better than 8.0 points per game alongside junior G Brooke Moore (11.7 ppg), redshirt-senior C Fatou Diagne (9.0 ppg) and freshman G Madison Layden (8.4 ppg). Diagne leads the team in rebounding at 8.0 boards per contest. The Boilermakers average 66.1 points per game, while allowing 73.4 per contest.
SERIES VS. PURDUE: Wednesday's matchup is the 81st in the series between the Illini and the Boilermakers. Purdue leads the all-time series, 61-19, including a 32-5 advantage in games played in West Lafayette. The Illini are looking to snap a four-game road losing streak in the series. Illinois' last road win vs. Purdue came Feb. 21, 2015, a 47-46 victory. Illinois last won two consecutive games in the series March 2, 1986 (88-70) and Jan. 23, 1987 (76-73), both in Champaign. The last time the Illini secured a season sweep of the series came during the 1983-84 season with a 76-67 win on Jan. 22 in West Lafayette, followed by an 88-66 home win on Feb. 26.
LAST TIME VS. PURDUE: The Fighting Illini rallied for a 54-49 win over Purdue at State Farm Center on Feb. 7. Jeana Terry (15 points, seven rebounds) and Kennedi Myles (14 points, nine rebounds) led the Illini while freshman Aaliyah Nye, who made her first-career start, recorded eight points - all in the final 6:02 - including the final go-ahead three-pointer with 41 seconds to play. The Illini defense held Purdue to eight points in the first quarter, eight points in the third, and nine in the fourth, but had to overcome a 24-point offensive surge by the Boilermakers in the second quarter. Purdue led 44-40 with 6:02 remaining before Illinois closed on a 14-5 run, sparked by Nye, to capture the win.
UP NEXT: The Fighting Illini return home to State Farm Center to close out the regular season and celebrate Senior Day vs. Minnesota on Friday, March 5. Tipoff between the Illini and the Golden Gophers (8-11, 7-10 B1G) - who host No. 12 Michigan on Sunday - is set for 4 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)
