Fighting Illini Close Road Swing With Ranked Matchup at #14 Maryland

Illinois at #14/14 Maryland
Date | Time	Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 | 12 p.m. CT
Location	College Park, Md. | XFINITY Center
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Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 213-105 (.670), 11th season
Division I Record: 184-80 (.697), Ninth season
At Illinois: 57-30 (.655), Third season
Big Ten Record: 25-21 (.543), Third season

OPENING TIP

The 51st campaign of Fighting Illini women's basketball continues with a road contest at No. 14 Maryland on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT on B1G+. Mike Koon will call the action for the Illini on fightingillini.com/listen. Audio and stats links are also available at FightingIllini.com/wbb. 

• Illinois won 10 games before Christmas (Dec. 25) for the first time since 2022-23 and for the second time since 2006-07.
• Illinois has earned a win over a ranked opponent for the third consecutive season and is up to four under Green.
• Head coach Shauna Green earned her 200th win as a head coach on Nov. 14, 2024 vs. Eastern Illinois.
• The Fighting Illini have now been ranked in the Top 25 in all three seasons under Green.
• Illinois faced a ranked team in its Big Ten opener for the third straight season (#12/7 Ohio State, --/25 Michigan, #5/4 Indiana).
• Illinois returned four 1,000-career point scorers, tied for the most in the NCAA with Baylor, Notre Dame, and Kansas State.
• Illinois has won two Top-25 games in the same season for the first time since 2014-15. 
• Illinois' seniors (Cook, Bryant, McKenzie, Shoup-Hill, Bostic) have a combined 446 career starts (420 at Illinois) and played a combined 588 games (460 at Illinois).
• Kendall Bostic's 1,293 career rebounds rank second of all active NCAA D1 players and is the active Big Ten-leading mark.
• On Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, Kendall Bostic grabbed the 1,218th rebound of her Illinois career and broke Jenna Smith's all-time record of 1,217 boards.
• Also on Jan. 27, 2025, Bostic moved into third place on the Big Ten's career rebounding list, surpassing Indiana's Denise Jackson (1981-84) at 1,273 rebounds.
• Kendall Bostic owns 48 double-doubles across her Illinois career, ranking second in school history behind Jenna Smith's 53.
• Illinois' free throws made per game mark of 16.0 ranks 14th in the NCAA.
• Illinois' 12.8 turnovers per game rank 26th in the NCAA.
• Illinois' free throw percentage of 80.0% ranks 4th in the NCAA and leads the Big Ten.
• Eight different Illini scorers have posted double-digit points in a game this season: Bostic, Bryant, Brown-Hagger, Cook, Dolan, McKenzie, Shoup-Hill, Wallace.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Maryland holds a 17-4 overall record and a 7-3 mark in Big Ten play ahead of Sunday's contest in College Park. After starting the season 17-1, the Terrapins dropped three straight contests to ranked opponents before ending that skid with an 82-73 road win at Penn State on Wednesday night. Led by head coach Brenda Frese, Maryland sits in a four-way tie for fourth place in the conference standings.

The Terrapins are 9-2 on their home court this season, with the lone losses coming at the hands of No. 4 USC on Jan. 8 and No. 1 UCLA on Jan. 26. The Maryland roster features four scorers averaging double figures, including Rutgers transfer Kaylene Smikle, who has 10+ points in 20 consecutive games and is registering a team-high 17.4 points per game this season.

ALL-TIME SERIES INFORMATION

The Illini are looking for their first-ever triumph over the Terrapins, with Maryland holding a 17-0 edge in the all-time series. The Orange and Blue are 0-8 against the Terps in College Park, while Maryland won all three meetings between the sides last season.

LAST TIME OUT

Illinois battled its way to a hard-fought 69-65 overtime win on the road against Rutgers on Thursday night.

Four scorers finished in double figures for the Orange and Blue, who are now 16-5 overall and 6-4 in Big Ten play this season. The Illini overcame an 11-point deficit in the game, which is tied for the second-largest comeback Illinois has mounted under head coach Shauna Green.

Playing all 45 minutes, Genesis Bryant poured in 14 points in the fourth quarter and finished with a game-high 28 points, her second-best scoring output this season. Making three big free throws in overtime, Bryant also rattled in a season-high five 3-pointers while collecting six rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

One game after setting the program's new career rebounding record, Kendall Bostic secured her fourth-straight double-double with 10 points and 11 boards. She also dished out a season-most five assists.

Adalia McKenzie came up clutch in overtime, tallying four points and making the game-saving block in the extra period. McKenzie closed the night with 11 points, five assists, three rebounds, a block, and a steal.

Brynn Shoup-Hill logged all 10 of her points across the final two quarters of regulation and overtime, while she also posted nine rebounds, an assist, a block, and a steal.

Berry Wallace added seven points, five rebounds, and two assists off the bench.

ILLINI CONTINUE TO BATTLE DESPITE INJURY BUG

Through the team's first 21 games of the season, Illinois has yet to have its full 14-player roster available. Holding an 16-5 record despite those setbacks, the Illini have remained resilient while battling injury issues throughout the first half of the campaign.

Eight different players have missed at least one game due to injury or illness this season, including sophomore transfer center Lety Vasconcelos, who was expected to be a key piece in the rotation before suffering a season-ending ACL tear over the summer. On Jan. 8, the program announced that fifth-year Makira Cook (ongoing health condition) and sophomore Gretchen Dolan (knee) would both miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season. Illinois is now 5-1 since announcing Cook and Dolan would miss the remainder of the season.

Five-star freshman guard Berry Wallace (hand) missed seven of the first eight games, while junior forward Shay Bollin, who played in 29 games for the Illini last season, has yet to make an appearance during the 2024-25 campaign. Freshman Irene Noya Catoira sat out the first seven games of the year while recovering from injury, while guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger, who has since moved into the starting lineup, missed three games while working her way back from a concussion. The latest Illini to miss a game was freshman Hayven Smith at Northwestern.

BIG TEN ROAD WINS

Illinois has won 11 road Big Ten games under Shauna Green, the 3rd most of all Illinois women's basketball head coaches. In 2024-25, Illinois has brought home victories from Indiana, Northwestern, and Rutgers.

BOSTIC MOVES ATOP PROGRAM'S CAREER REBOUNDING LIST

Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic became the Fighting Illini's career rebounding leader during Illinois' game against Purdue on Jan. 27. After tying the previous mark in the first half, Bostic secured her record-breaking board in the third quarter, which saw her climb to 11 rebounds on the night and 1,218 rebounds across her time with the Orange and Blue.

Bostic surpassed Jenna Smith on the program's all-time rebounding list. Smith, who played at Illinois from 2006-10, posted 1,217 rebounds across her career; Bostic entered Illinois' game against Purdue needing 10 rebounds to tie the record and 11 rebounds to pass it.

Bostic is the fourth player in program history to record 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds while playing for the Illini.

The Kokomo, Indiana, native sits in third place on the Big Ten's career rebounding rankings, only behind Iowa's Megan Gustafson (1,460) and Ohio State's Jantel Lavender (1,422). Bostic sits at 1,293 career rebounds across her four seasons at Illinois and one season at Michigan State.

GREEN CONTINUES TO CLIMB PROGRAM'S ALL-TIME WIN LIST

Third-year head coach Shauna Green continues to move up the program's all-time wins list. After the Fighting Illini defeated Rutgers on Jan. 30, Green posted her 57th win at the helm of the program, which currently ranks as the sixth-most victories by an Illinois women's basketball head coach.

SHARP SHOOTING FROM BEYOND THE ARC

Fighting Illini fifth year Genesis Bryant has been instrumental for the Orange and Blue from beyond the 3-point line. Through 86 games at Illinois, Bryant has connected on 177 3-pointers, which currently ranks fourth on UI's career list.

Bryant connected on 72 3-pointers in 2022-23, her first year at Illinois (178 att., 40.4%). As a senior in 2023-24, she tallied 65 makes from deep (188 att., 34.6%). This year, Bryant has made 40 3-pointers on 106 attempts for 37.7%.

RANKED WINS UNDER COACH GREEN

For the first time since the 2014-15 campaign, the Fighting Illini have secured multiple ranked wins in a season following Illinois' 62-57 home win over No. 23 Iowa on Jan. 9. The Orange and Blue defeated No. 19 Florida State, 83-74, at State Farm Center on Nov. 7 to open the 2024-25 regular season.

The victory marked the fourth such triumph under third-year head coach Shauna Green, who guided the Illini to ranked wins over No. 12 Iowa (Jan. 1, 2023) during the 2022-23 slate and No. 14 Indiana (Feb. 19, 2024) during the team's 2023-24 schedule.

BOSTIC, MCKENZIE NAMED TO HER HOOP STATS MIDSEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAMS

Fifth year forward Kendall Bostic has earned All-Big Ten First Team honors from Her Hoops Stats, while senior guard Adalia McKenzie was tabbed with honorable mention accolades.

The Fighting Illini's career rebounding leader, Bostic is averaging a double-double – 16.1 points and 11.2 rebounds – and was one of six players to earn a spot on the first team. Bostic's scoring average is on pace to break her career-best total by four points, while her 11.2 rebounds would be her second-best single-season tally. With 14 double-doubles this season, the Kokomo, Indiana, native joins USC's Kiki Iriafen and Juju Watkins, UCLA's Lauren Betts, Michigan State's Julia Ayrault, and Ohio State's Cotie McMahon on the first team.

McKenzie has filled up the stat sheet in her final season with the Orange and Blue, averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while scoring in double figures in 17 games thus far.

ILLINOIS POWERS PAST PURDUE AS BOSTIC BREAKS PROGRAM REBOUNDING RECORD

Kendall Bostic became the program's career rebounding leader as Illinois rolled past Purdue, 74-38, at State Farm Center on Jan. 27.

Four Fighting Illini scorers finished in double figures as the Orange and Blue earned their first win against the Boilermakers since 2021.

Surpassing Jenna Smith's rebounding record that stood since 2010, Kendall Bostic grabbed her record-breaking 11th rebound in the third quarter. With her 13th double-double of the season, Bostic scored 17 points, including 14 in the first quarter, and tallied two steals and an assist.

Pouring in double figures for the 11th time in her last 12 appearances, Genesis Bryant totaled 10 of her 13 points in the second quarter while also amassing three assists.

Jasmine Brown-Hagger logged 11 points, her ninth double-digit scoring effort of the campaign, while tacking on three assists and two rebounds.

Berry Wallace added 16 points and four rebounds off the bench, while Adalia McKenzie racked up seven points, four assists, and two rebounds.

FIGHTING ILLINI CRUISE TO ROAD ROUT OF NORTHWESTERN

Illinois cruised to an 85-60 road win over Northwestern on Jan. 23, the Illini's fifth-straight victory over the Wildcats.

For the first time this season, five scorers finished in double figures for the Orange and Blue, who never trailed in the contest and improved to 14-5 overall and 4-4 in conference play this season.

Kendall Bostic secured her fourth double-double in the last five games, ending the night with 20 points and 11 rebounds. After posting 10 points in the first half, Bostic tallied 10 points in the third quarter alone before spending the fourth quarter on the bench. The fifth year also logged an assist and a steal.

Making the 100th start of her career, Adalia McKenzie totaled 15 points for her 10th-straight game with double-digit points. Leading all scorers with 11 first-half points, McKenzie also amassed five rebounds and five assists. 

Genesis Bryant tallied her first double-double of the season, pouring in 13 points while dishing out a career-high 13 assists. Her 13 helpers marked the most by an Illini since 2012, and she also tacked on three rebounds and two steals.

Brynn Shoup-Hill filled the stat sheet with 10 points, two rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. 

Berry Wallace knocked down three 3-pointers en route to a 14-point performance. Scoring in double figures for the third time in her career, Wallace also corralled seven rebounds.

Cori Allen grabbed a career-most 11 rebounds along with tallying six points, while Jasmine Brown-Hagger accumulated seven points, four rebounds, and two steals.

FIGHTING ILLINI SECURE FIRST ROAD WIN AT INDIANA SINCE 2012

Illinois led for the final 38 minutes of play en route to an emphatic 68-54 road win over Indiana at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Jan. 16. Ahead by as many as 15 in the contest, the Fighting Illini improved to 13-4 overall and 3-3 in conference play with their first Big Ten road victory of the campaign.

Four scorers for the Orange and Blue finished in double figures as the Illini recorded their first road win against Indiana since 2012 and their largest margin of victory against the Hoosiers away from home since 1999.

Kendall Bostic marked her return to her home state with a dominant 21-point, eight-rebound performance. A pest in the paint from start to finish, Bostic went 9-for-19 from the field, dished out three assists, and made one block while playing all 40 minutes. Adalia McKenzie tallied 15 points for her eighth-straight outing in double figures. Three of her five rebounds came on the offensive glass, and she amassed four assists.

Berry Wallace scored in double figures for the second time in her career and for the first time in Big Ten play, pouring in 13 points off the bench. A stretch of five-consecutive points in the fourth quarter swung the momentum back in the Illini's favor, and the freshman also connected on three 3-pointers, going 3-for-3 from deep, and finished with four rebounds and a steal.

Genesis Bryant ended the night with 12 points while equaling her season-best total with seven assists, and she also corralled three rebounds and snatched a steal. Jasmine Brown-Hagger logged seven points, including five in the fourth quarter, along with four assists, two rebounds, and a steal.

ILLINOIS FLIES PAST IOWA FOR SECOND RANKED WIN OF THE SEASON

Illinois earned its second ranked win of the season on Jan. 9 with a 62-57 victory over No. 23 Iowa at State Farm Center. Four Fighting Illini scorers finished in double figures as the Orange and Blue took down the ranked Hawkeyes and improved to 10-1 at home during the 2024-25 campaign.

Kendall Bostic secured her 10th double-double of the season, registering 17 points and 14 rebounds in the win. Going 8-for-12 from the field, Bostic also dished out three assists, made two steals, and bagged two blocks.

Scoring in double figures for the seventh-straight game, Adalia McKenzie ended the evening with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal while playing lockdown defense from start to finish.

Genesis Bryant logged nine of her 12 points in the second half, including seven points in the fourth quarter alone. Bryant also amassed a season-high four steals, three rebounds, and two assists.

Jasmine Brown-Hagger tallied 10 points, three assists, and a steal, while Berry Wallace collected seven points off the bench.

ILLINOIS FINISHES NONCONFERENCE SLATE WITH 10 WINS

For just the fourth time in program history, Illinois registered 10 wins in nonconference play, equaling the program's all-time record. The Fighting Illini last achieved the feat during the 2022-23 campaign in head coach Shauna Green's first season at the helm.

The Orange and Blue secured a 10-1 record against nonconference opponents, a stretch that included eight victories at home. Illinois opened its 2024-25 slate with a five-game homestand that featured three teams that played in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Opening the season with a statement win over No. 19 Florida State, the Illini also earned triumphs against Marquette, Eastern Illinois, Le Moyne, and Oregon State in the team's 5-0 start.

After going 1-1 at the Music City Classic with a victory over UMES and a loss to No. 14 Kentucky, Illinois closed its nonconference schedule without five more triumphs, a stretch that began with a road win over Canisius. Returning to State Farm Center, the Orange and Blue rattled off wins over Bradley, Southern Indiana, and Southern to move to 10-1 in nonconference play. 

BOSTIC RANKS AMONG BEST IN THE NCAA

Fifth-year forward Kendall Bostic ranks in the top 10 in the NCAA in four statistical categories – double-doubles, defensive rebounding average, rebounding average, and total rebounds – in addition to being in the top 100 in field goals, field-goal percentage, and minutes per game. She has also joined the scoring conversation with the 10th-most points in the Big Ten and 12th-most points per game. Bostic also ranks second in the Big Ten in minutes played per game, unheard of for a post player.

GREEN BECOMES JOINT-FASTEST ILLINI COACH TO 50 WINS

With Illinois' 73-50 win over Southern Indiana on Dec. 15, third-year head coach Shauna Green secured her 50th win at the helm of the program. Needing only 77 games to achieve that feat, Green became the joint-fastest Fighting Illini women's basketball coach in program history to reach 50 victories, tying the record that was set by Hall of Fame coach Theresa Grentz.

• T1. 77 games: Shauna Green
• T1. 77 games: Theresa Grentz
• 3. 83 games: Laura Golden
• 4. 94 games: Jane Schroeder
• 5. 102 games: Matt Bollant
• 6. 103 games: Jolette Law
• 7. 132 games: Kathy Lindsey

HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE

Starting the season 9-0 at home, Illinois won 13 consecutive games in State Farm Center between the end of the 2023-24 campaign and the first nine home games of the 2024-25 schedule. The streak ranks as the second-longest such stretch in program history and was the second-longest active streak in the Big Ten prior to the Illini's defeat against Washington on Dec. 31. Illinois is 34-10 in home games under Shauna Green. 

GREEN BECOMES FASTEST ILLINI COACH TO REACH 30 HOME WINS

With the Fighting Illini's 70-52 victory over Bradley at State Farm Center on Dec. 12, Illinois moved to 30-8 in home games under third-year head coach Shauna Green. Needing only 38 home games to reach the 30-win mark, Green became the fastest Illini head coach to achieve the feat in program history, surpassing the previous mark by one game.

Green's 2022-23 squad went 12-3 at State Farm Center in the first season under Green's guidance, while last year's 2023-24 Fighting Illini team recorded 12 home wins for the second-consecutive season, including two wins in the squad's postseason run to the inaugural WBIT title. With the Orange and Blue starting 6-0 at State Farm Center during the 2024-25 campaign, the Illini clinched 30 home wins in the span of just 38 games under Green.

BOSTIC EARNS FIRST-CAREER B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD (NOV. 25)

Kendall Bostic delivered a spectacular Week 2 performance on the court to earn the first Big Ten Player of the Week award of her career. The fifth-year senior led the Illini to a 2-0 week after averaging 28 points, 10 rebounds, and one steal while posting zero turnovers as the Fighting Illini climbed to 5-0 after downing their third 2024 NCAA Tournament team of the season.

The Kokomo, Ind., native shot 83.9% from the floor on 26-of-31 attempts and connected on all four of her free-throw attempts. No other Big Ten player was more efficient at a high volume than Bostic, as she made more combined field goals across the week (26) than all but two Big Ten players attempted. Additionally, she was the only Big Ten player with two 20-point games during the week.

In the Illini's first game of the week, a blowout win over Le Moyne on Nov. 18, Bostic registered the 36^th double-double of her career, scoring 25 points (11-for-13 FG) and grabbing 12 rebounds in 23 minutes of action.

In Illinois' handing of Oregon State on Nov. 22, Bostic became just the fourth player in program history to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds as an Illini. Bostic also scored a career-high 31 points in the victory over the Beavers and grabbed eight rebounds in 32 minutes of work.

TOP HOME ATTENDANCES

Fighting Illini head coach Shauna Green has re-energized the women's basketball fan base and delivered two of the top five home attendances in program history through just 70 games at Illinois. Green's teams have drawn attendances of 13,486, 11,563, and 8,141 across the last three seasons - all three are in the top 13 of all-time largest home game attendances for the program.

The 2024 game vs. Le Moyne that drew 13,486 fans set a new single-game attendance record for home nonconference games at Illinois.

ILLINOIS OPENS REGULAR SEASON WITH RANKED WIN

The Fighting Illini started the 2024-25 season with a statement win, taking down No. 19/19 Florida State, 83-74, at State Farm Center on Nov. 7. Four Illini scored in double figures in the ranked nine-point win, including 20-point outings for both Makira Cook and Adalia McKenzie, while the home side never trailed in the contest.

Kendall Bostic (18 points) and Gretchen Dolan (11 points) also finished with double-digit points, which helped the Illini pick up a ranked win for the third consecutive season.

1,000 POINT SCORERS & REBOUNDING

Entering the 2024-25 campaign, Illinois has four players with 1,000+ career points scored. All four (Bostic, Bryant, Cook, McKenzie) have now scored 1,000 during their Illini tenures as well.

To date, 34 Fighting Illini players have scored 1,000 points during their career at Illinois, and only four players have scored 1,000 points and grabbed 1,000 rebounds at Illinois. Kendall Bostic became the fourth player in program history to join the 1,000/1,000 club as an Illini, earning a spot on the exclusive list that features Jenna Smith, Karisma Penn, and Cindy Dallas.

THE SHAUNA GREEN EFFECT

The Illini's 41 overall wins in Green's first two seasons were the program's most over a two-year span since the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 campaigns, when Illinois recorded 42 combined victories under Hall of Fame coach Theresa Grentz.

Illinois' 19 Big Ten regular-season victories over Green's first two seasons are the program's most over a two-year span since the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 campaigns, when Illinois totaled 20 conference wins under Hall of Fame coach Theresa Grentz. 

HOME ATTENDANCE NUMBERS

Across 15 home games during the 2022-23 season, Illinois Women's Basketball saw 52,295 fans fill the State Farm Center en route to a 12-3 record. That total attendance ranked 5th in program history and made Shauna Green the only head coach to bring in 50,000 or more fans in her first season with the Illini.

In Illinois' 2023-24 season - and home - opener, the attendance of 2,680 marked the largest ticketed season-opening crowd at State Farm Center since 2000 (3,954). In the Illini's 17 home games last season, Illinois finished with a combined attendance of 63,242 for an average of 3,720 a game. 63,242 is now the fifth-best all-time attendance.

Illinois' season-opener against Florida State drew a crowd of 3,741 to surpass last year's season-opening mark by over 1,000 fans. With 13,486 fans in attendance for Field Trip Day; 4,914 fans in the stands of State Farm Center for Pack the House; and 5,896 fans on hand against Michigan State on Jan. 19, Illinois' season average is 4,853 per game through 13 home regular-season contests.

CONTRACT EXTENSION

Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced a two-year contract extension for women's basketball head coach Shauna Green, which was approved by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees at its Nov. 14 meeting. Initially, the new agreement will keep Green on a six-year contract through at least the 2029-30 season. The agreement also provides Green the opportunity to earn up to four additional one-year extensions if certain performance thresholds are met.

Under Green, Illinois owns a 57-30 record, including a 25-21 mark in Big Ten play. In the first two years under Green, the Illinois women's basketball team registered 41 wins, the first-ever postseason championship in program history (2024 WBIT), and back-to-back top-five season attendances in State Farm Center. Over the last three seasons, Illinois has delivered three upsets of AP Top-20 ranked teams: No. 12 Iowa (1/1/23), No. 14 Indiana (2/19/24), and No. 19 Florida State (11/7/24).

PRO ILLINI

Illinois women's basketball is represented at the professional level across multiple continents. Former Illini center Camille Hobby joined the professional ranks after spending her fifth year of college at Illinois. Hobby plays for PAOK in Greece. Adrienne Williams Godbold, a guard at Illinois from 2009-13, plays in the Puerto Rican BSNF for Hatillo. Brandi Beasley, a guard at Illinois from 2016-20, plays for CJS Geispolsheim in France. Brittany Carter, who played at Illinois from 2014-15, now plays for GIE Cibao Immortals in the Dominican Republic and was the 2024 league MVP. Rebecca Harris, a guard at Illinois from 2006-08, plays for the Bay Area Phoenix in the Women's Premier Basketball Association (WPBA), helping them to a championship. Harris has also played in the Athletes Unlimited League.