Women's basketball Game 25 preview: No. 14 Indiana at Illinois, 1 p.m., Monday
Feb. 19—Lineups
Illinois (12-12, 6-8 Big Ten)StartersP Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
G Makira Cook Sr. 5-6 14.5 Cincinnati
G Genesis Bryant Sr. 5-6 14.0 Jonesboro, Ga.
G Adalia McKenzie Jr. 5-10 10.8 Brooklyn Park, Minn.
F Kendall Bostic Sr. 6-2 12.1 Kokomo, Ind.
C Camille Hobby Sr. 6-3 9.3 Jacksonville, Fla.
FYI: McKenzie is averaging 15.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 steals in the last five games for the Illini. That the 5-foot-10 wing has done so with efficiency is just as important with the junior shooting 56.7 percent from the floor (34 of 60) during that stretch
* .
Off the benchP Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
G Gretchen Dolan Fr. 5-11 4.7 Buffalo, N.Y.
F Shay Bollin So. 6-3 2.2 Raynham, Mass.
F Brynn Shoup-Hill Jr. 6-3 3.3 Goshen, Ind.
No. 14 Indiana (21-3, 12-2 Big Ten)StartersP Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
G Yarden Garzon So. 6-3 11.4 Ra'anana, Israel
G Sara Scalia Sr. 5-10 16.3 Stillwater, Minn.
G Lexus Bargesser So. 5-9 4.4 Grass Lake, Mich.
G Chloe Moore-McNeil Sr. 5-11 10.5 Greenfield, Tenn.
F Mackenzie Holmes Gr. 6-3 20.5 Gorham, Maine
FYI: Moore-McNeil has scored in double figures in seven straight games for the Hoosiers with a career-high 22 points in a 95-62 home win against Purdue on Feb. 11. That performance followed Moore-McNeil delivering a triple-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists against Michigan State on Feb. 8 in Bloomington, Ind.
Off the benchP Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
G Lenée Beaumont Fr. 6-1 3.7 Lisle
F Lilly Meister So. 6-3 4.0 Rochester, Minn.
G Julianna LaMendola Fr. 6-1 1.7 Coppell, Texas
Details
Site:
* State Farm Center (15,544); Champaign.
TV: Kevin Kugler (play by play) and Christy Winters Scott
* (color analyst) will have the call on Fox.
Radio: Mike Koon
* will have the call on WDWS 1400-AM & 93.9-FM.
Series:
* Indiana leads 49-30.
Last meeting:
* Indiana defeated Illinois 77-71 on Dec. 31, 2023, in Bloomington, Ind.
FYI: The Illini have lost eight straight games against AP Top 25 opponents since a New Year's Day upset of Caitlin Clark and Iowa to ring in 2023 when Illinois emerged with the 90-86 victory against the Hawkeyes at State Farm Center. The Illini, in fact, are 2-28 in the last 30 games versus ranked foes.
Beat writer Joe Vozzelli's storylines
A tough seven-day stretch for BosticKendall Bostic started to sense something was wrong after the Purdue game on Feb. 5. What was later diagnosed as a viral infection meant the senior forward described spending an entire week "feeling like absolute crap." Bostic played two games — an 82-71 home win against Northwestern on Feb. 8 and a 69-53 loss at State Farm Center to Maryland on Feb. 11 — while the three-to-seven-day "bug" ran its course. Bostic produced eight points and a team-high 13 rebounds in 34 minutes in the win against the Wildcats before struggling against Maryland (two points, eight rebounds). The 86-71 win at Penn State last Thursday night saw a fully healthy Bostic return to form with 17 points and 10 rebounds. "We needed her in that Maryland game, and ... she fought like crazy," Illinois coach Shauna Green said of Bostic. "She wanted to play, but when you don't practice for two days and you're as sick as she was, it shows the toughness that she has to even try to attempt to play that game. It was great to have her back (100 percent at Penn State)."
Looking different entering Indiana rematch Illinois has made a change since its Dec. 31 loss at Indiana. That Big Ten matchup came before Camille Hobby became the Illini's starting center. Hobby was on the floor at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for only 14 minutes off the bench, with Bostic drawing the assignment of guarding Mackenzie Holmes. The Indiana forward had her way with 30 points and seven rebounds, although Bostic largely matched Holmes at the other end of the floor in the first half in finishing the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds. The rematch presents Green with an opportunity to defend Holmes differently. "We can throw multiple people at her," Green said. "It's hard for anyone to guard Mackenzie Holmes for 40 minutes, so now ... we can rotate back and forth. Hobby can bang with her, K.B. can bang with her. ... We have got to capitalize on some of the advantages that we have because there's going to be some mismatches for us defensively because they play mostly four guards now, unless they match our big lineup, which will be interesting to see what (Indiana coach) Teri (Moren) does to start."
Embracing big games ahead of themThrough now three-plus months of the regular season, Illinois has only had three winning streaks. None of which were longer than three games. The Illini did that back in late November and early December after defeating Canisius, Central Connecticut State and Northern Kentucky. The longest win streak in Big Ten play? Two games. Illinois has done that twice in league play. The month of February, though, has been a lose one, win one pattern for the Illini. It's kept Illinois at or below the .500 mark. That hasn't stopped Illinois from thinking about what's possible the next month with the final four regular-season opponents — Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State and Nebraska — all currently residing in the NET top 30. "I'm really excited for a lot of Quad I opportunities," Bostic said, "and I think at this point in the season, it's pivotal that we get a lot of these. It adds to the fun."
The News-Gazette's Pick
No. 14 Indiana 81, Illinois 74The Illini have had few answers for Mackenzie Holmes. Join the club. That the All-American forward has averaged 27.7 points in three games against Shauna Green's Illinois teams is only part of the problem, though, as Indiana coach Teri Moren has surrounded the 6-foot 3 Holmes with highly efficient shooting guards like Sara Scalia and Chloe Moore-McNeil. It will take the Illini's most complete performance of the season to knock off Indiana. That's a tough ask for what has been an inconsistent Illinois team. (N-G prediction record: 14-10)
