PREVIEW
OPENING TIP: No. 12-seeded Illinois (5-17, 2-16 B1G), following a 67-42 win opening-round win over Wisconsin, advances to Round 2 of the 2021 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, to face No. 5-seeded Northwestern (13-7, 11-7 B1G). Tipoff between the Illini and the Badgers is set for 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. The game will be televised live on Big Ten Network. Mike Koon will call the action for the Illini on WDWS 1400 AM. Streaming audio and live stats will also available at FightingIllini.com. Additional information for all games throughout the will event be available at the Tournament Central page at BigTen.org/WBBT.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN: No. 5-seeded Northwestern enters Wednesday’s game with a 13-7 overall record, having lost their last two games to close out the regular season following 67-61 win in Champaign on Feb. 24. Junior G Veronica Burton paces the Wildcats’ offensive attack at 16.7 points per game. Burton is one of three NU players averaging double-figures scoring alongside senior G Lindsay Pulliam (16.0 ppg) and junior G/F Sydney Wood (12.3 ppg). Junior F Courtney Shaw is the team’s top rebounder at 7.1 boards per contest, just ahead of Wood (5.6 rpg). The Wildcats average 69.3 points per game, while holding opponents to 62.0 per contest. Northwestern ranks among the NCAA top-10 in several statistical categories, including No. 1 turnover margin (+10.35), No. 6 in steals per game (12.2), No. 7 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.40), No. 7 in turnovers per game (11.2), and No. 9 in turnovers forced per game (21.60).
SERIES VS. NORTHWESTERN: Wednesday’s matchup is the 82nd in the series between the Illini and the Wildcats. Northwestern holds a 47-34 lead in the series. Illinois is 3-2 all-time vs. NU in neutral-site contests, and 3-0 vs. the Wildcats in Big Ten Tournament matchups. Illinois’ last win the series, overall, came Feb. 14, 2015, a 66-55 win in Champaign. Northwestern has won the last 12 meetings since. Northwestern won both regular-season matchups this year, capturing a decisive 73-54 win in Evanston on Jan. 21, before holding on for a 67-61 win at State Farm Center on Feb. 24.
LAST TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN: The Fighting Illini gave up an early lead before mounting a furious comeback effort that fell just short in a 67-61 home loss to Northwestern on Feb. 24. The Illini staked to a 19-9 lead in the first period by holding the Wildcats to 0-for-13 from the field in the first 8:48 of the contest. But NU regained its composure in the second period, outscoring the Illini 22-3 to establish a lead they would not relinquish. Illinois cut the lead to single digits with 9:13 left in the fourth quarter, and pulled as close as four points, 65-61, with eight seconds remaining. Jada Peebles and Solape Amusan each scored 15 points, a career-best for Amusan. Kennedi Myles and Aaliyah Nye each tallied 11 points. Myles also ripped down a game-high 12 rebounds to finish with a double-double.
UP NEXT: With a win, the 12th-seeded Illini would advance to face No. 4 seed Michigan (14-4, 9-3) in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament.
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