Nebraska WBB vs #25 Illinois (Part Two) Preview and Game Thread

Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-13, 6-10) at #25 Illinois Fighting Illini (20-7, 10-6)

Wednesday, February 22, 2023, 7 p.m. (CT)

State Farm Center - Champaign, Illinois

Live Video: B1G+

Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (6:45 p.m.) Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst) Lincoln (107.3 FM & 1400 AM), Omaha (590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Special Event: Illinois Senior Night

Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-13, 6-10 Big Ten)
34 - Isabelle Bourne - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 12.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - So. - C/F - 12.4 ppg, 10.1 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 13.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg
4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 9.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg
42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - So. - G - 5.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg

Off the Bench
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - So. - F - 5.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 4.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - So. - G - 3.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg
44 - Maggie Mendelson - 6-5 - Fr. - F/C - 2.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - So. - F/G - 1.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg
2 - Trinity Brady - 5-11 - Jr. - G - 2.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg
3 - Allison Weidner (Out) - 5-10 - So. - G - 10.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)Seventh Season at Nebraska (110-97); 16th Season Overall (303-206)

Illinois Fighting Illini (20-7, 10-6 Big Ten)
23 - Brynn Shoup-Hill - 6-3 - So. - F - 6.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg
44 - Kendall Bostic - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 10.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg
1 - Genesis Bryant - 5-6 - Jr. - G - 15.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg
3 - Makira Cook - 5-6 - Jr. - G - 18.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg
24 - Adalia McKenzie - 5-10 - So. - G - 14.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg

Off the Bench
11 - Jada Peebles - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 6.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg
12 - Jayla Oden - 5-9 - So. - G - 4.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg
14 - Geovana Lopes - 6-3 - Gr. - F/C - 1.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg
21 - Aicha Ndour - 6-6 - Jr. - C - 1.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg
4 - Kam’Ren Rhodes - 5-6 - Fr. - G - 2.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg
33 - Samantha Dewey - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 1.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg

Head Coach: Shauna Green (Canisius, 2002) First Season at Illinois (20-7); Ninth Season Overall (176-82)

Scouting The Illinois Fighting Illini

Coach Shauna Green is a legitimate contender for national coach-of-the-year honors after leading Illinois to its first 20-win season since 2007-08 (20-15), which was Jolette Law’s first year in Champaign. The Fighting Illini enter Wednesday’s game with a 20-7 record and a 10-6 Big Ten mark, still hunting for a top-four seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

In the five years under Coach Nancy Fahey prior to Green’s arrival at Illinois, the Illini went 7-77 in Big Ten play. Green and the Illini have changed the trajectory of their program by finding ways to maximize the strengths of several key players from a year ago while adding three impact transfers, including two who followed Green from her previous coaching stop at Dayton (Cook and Shoup-Hill).

As a team, Illinois is hitting 45.9 percent of its shots from the field, including a sizzling 38.3 percent from three-point range. The Illini also have hit 77 percent of their free throws. They own a plus-6.9 rebound margin and a plus-0.9 turnover margin. Illinois is averaging 77.1 while allowing 64.7 points per game on the season.

In Big Ten play only, the scoring margin for Illinois has narrowed to 73.6-70.5, while the rebound gap as shrunk to 37.1-34.3. They have hit 43.6 percent from the field, including 34.7 percent from long range and 78.1 percent at the line.

Nebraska vs. Illinois Series History

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Illinois 18-6, but the Illini snapped NU’s eight-game series winning streak with a 72-64 win in Lincoln on Feb. 9.