Game Preview: Illini Women Head North to Face In-State Rival Wildcats

(From Illinois Sports Information Office)

Illinois at Northwestern
Date | Time Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025 | 7 p.m. CT
Location Evanston, Ill. | Welsh-Ryan Arena
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Illinois Starters Last Game
Pos. No. Name Ht. Yr. PPG RPG APG SPG BPG Season Note
G 1 Genesis Bryant 5-6 5th 13.9 3.5 3.1 1.2 0.1 Became the 34th player in program history to score 1,000 points as an Illini
G 8 Jasmine Brown-Hagger 5-9 So. 9.8 2.1 2.3 1.1 0.0 Has scored in double figures in three of her last four appearances
G 24 Adalia McKenzie 5-10 Sr. 13.3 4.7 2.6 1.1 0.1 Has nine-straight games with 10+ points and has 15 such performances this season
F 23 Brynn Shoup-Hill 6-3 Sr. 4.5 6.2 1.1 0.4 0.9 Has multiple blocks in five games this season while leading the team in that stat
F 44 Kendall Bostic 6-2 5th 16.2 11.2 1.5 0.5 0.8 Ranks second in program history in career double-doubles and rebounds

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 210-105 (.667), 11th season
Division I Record: 181-80 (.693), Ninth season
At Illinois: 54-30 (.643), Third season
Big Ten Record: 22-21 (.512), Third season

OPENING TIP

The 51st campaign of Fighting Illini women's basketball continues with Illinois staying in the Land of Lincoln to take on Northwestern on the road on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network. Mike Koon will call the action for the Illini on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (1400 AM / 93.9 FM). Streaming, 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 434 career starts (408 at Illinois) and played a combined 576 games (448 at Illinois).
  • Kendall Bostic's 1,260 career rebounds rank second of all active NCAA D1 players.
  • Illinois' free throws made per game mark of 16.33 ranks 13th in the NCAA.
  • Illinois' 12.9 turnovers/game rank 25th in the NCAA.
  • Illinois' free throw percentage of 79.0% ranks 6th 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.
  • The Fighting Illini return eight players from last year's WBIT Championship team while adding six newcomers – four freshmen and two transfers – into the mix.

ILLINI ON TV

Illinois will play its fourth game on national television when Illinois travels to Northwestern on Thursday night, with first tip slated for 7 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network. The contest will be the fourth of eight nationally televised games that the Illini are currently set to play during the 2024-25 regular season:
» Nov. 7, 7 p.m. CT, vs. Marquette - Big Ten Network
» Dec. 8, 3 p.m. CT, at Ohio State - Big Ten Network
» Dec. 31, 12 p.m. CT vs. Washington - Big Ten Network
» Jan. 23, 7 p.m. CT, at Northwestern - Big Ten Network
» Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m. CT, vs. Purdue - Big Ten Network
» Feb. 16, 4 p.m. CT, vs. Nebraska - Big Ten Network
» Feb. 20, 8:30 p.m. CT, at UCLA - Big Ten Network
» Feb. 23, 3 p.m. CT, at USC - Fox Sports 1

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

Currently on a five-game losing skid, Northwestern enters Thursday night's contest with a 7-10 overall record and an 0-6 mark in Big Ten play. The Wildcats are looking for their first win since Dec. 21, while they are also aiming to earn their first conference victory of the season.

Northwestern is 5-7 at Welsh-Ryan Arena during the 2024-25 campaign, including a win over Utah, which is receiving votes in the most recent AP Top 25 poll. The Wildcats have lost their last four home games, though, with the last triumph dating back to a 79-76 overtime victory over UNLV on Dec. 18.

ALL-TIME SERIES INFORMATION

Northwestern holds a 49-38 lead in the all-time series heading into the 88th all-time meeting between the sides on Thursday. After the Wildcats won 14-straight games against the Illini from 2015-2022, the Orange and Blue have won each of the last four games against NU, including two-consecutive victories against Northwestern on the road.

Illinois is 15-24 against Northwestern away from home, though the Illini are looking for three-consecutive road wins over the Wildcats for the first time since 2007-10.

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