CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Wildcats prepare to hit the road for the first time in the new year as they get set to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in Urbana-Champaign on Thursday evening. Tip-off between the two teams is set for 8 p.m. at State Farm Center, with action televised on Big Ten Network.
Northwestern (6-7, 0-3) heads into the matchup on a 14-game winning streak against Illinois, dating back almost a decade. The last time the ‘Cats fell to the Illini was January 15, 2014 – nearly nine years ago.
The Wildcats are still in search of their first conference win this season after falling just short against Michigan State on Monday. Though the ‘Cats didn’t come out victorious, they outscored the Spartans 32-28 in the second half and 15-9 in the fourth quarter alone.
The late life came in part due to Hailey Weaver, who scored all six of her points on Monday in the fourth quarter. Weaver has seen increased playing time since Big Ten play began, putting in a career-high 18 minutes against Ohio State on December 28 before logging 12 minutes for the Wildcats against Michigan State.
Sydney Wood continued her productive season for Northwestern too as Monday’s leading scorer, with 13 points. The total put her just one rebound shy of her second double-double of the season and extended her double-digit scoring run to eight of her last ten games. On top of the offense, Wood’s 2.7 steals per game put her third in the Big Ten and 35th in the NCAA, while her four blocks against Michigan State tied for most by a Wildcat in a game this year.
Meanwhile, the Illini (13-2, 3-1) enter Thursday’s matchup on a six-game win streak that extends back to December 7. Illinois is a perfect 8-0 at home so far this season, including victories over Rutgers and – most recently – No. 12 Iowa.
After Thursday’s game, the ‘Cats will return home to take on No. 6 Indiana at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday. Tip off between the Wildcats and the Hoosiers is set for 2 p.m.
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