McBride Homes Braggin’ Rights Game at [RV] Missouri Next for Illini

Head Coach Shauna Green

Career Record: 165-77 (.682), ninth year

Division I Record: 136-52 (.723), seventh year

At Illinois: 9-2, first year

Big Ten: 1-1

Series Notes vs. Missouri

All-Time Record: Illinois leads, 9-6

Record in Columbia: Illinois leads, 4-2

Streak:  Lost 1

Last Meeting:  L, 65-84, Champaign, Ill. (12/22/21)

Green vs. Opponent: First Meeting

Opening Tips

• Illinois opened its 49th season of women’s basketball with a 6-0 record for just the fourth time in program history before suffering its first loss.
• Shauna Green is the first coach in program history to open her Illinois career with a 3-0 start and pushed the new mark a 6-0 start.
• The Fighting Illini secured a win in the ACC/B1G Challenge over Pitt (11/30/22) for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
• It took the 2022-23 squad just eight games to match the previous season’s win total (7).
• Illinois won its scheduled Big Ten home opener for the first time since 2016-17 with an 80-62 victory over Rutgers on Dec. 7, 2021.
• With Illinois’ home win over Rutgers, the Orange and Blue secured an 8-2 start through 10 games for just the 10th time in program history. 
• The Illini have won (at least) eight regular-season non-conference games for just the 13th time in program history with two games to go.
• Illinois has five returners on the 2022-23 squad, including: Jada Peebles, Jayla Oden, Geovana Lopes, Adalia McKenzie and Kendall Bostic
• Shauna Green brought in eight newcomers since being hired on March 21, 2022 – four freshmen and four transfers. 
• Illinois’ transfers include: Genesis Bryant (NC State), Makira Cook (Dayton), Aicha Ndour (NW Florida State College) and Brynn Shoup-Hill. Those three programs went a combined 85-13 last season.
• Shauna Green‘s trio of assistant coaches are no strangers to her or each other. Green, Calamity McEntire, DeAntoine Beasley and Ryan Gensler were on the Dayton Women’s Basketball staff together for four seasons from 2017-21. With those four coaches leading from the sidelines, the Flyers posted a 79-34 overall record across four seasons.

MISSOURI STORY LINES

• The Tigers are off to an 11-1 (0-0) start, and receiving votes in the AP Poll. Their lone loss came to No. 11 Virginia Tech.
• MU went 18-13 last season and 7-9 in SEC play.
• Mizzou owns a 7-0 record at home this season.
• Missouri returned nine letterwinners & four starters.

FIRST NET RANKINGS OF 2022-23

• With a 7-2 start, Illinois came in at No. 19 in the first NET rankings of 2022-23 and is currently No. 32. 
• In the same rankings a year prior, the Illini were No. 193 – marking a 174-spot difference.
• Big Ten Conference led all Division I conferences with five teams in the top 20 and 10 schools among the top 50 in the first report.

  • No. 4 Indiana, No. 14 Michigan, No. 15 Ohio State, No. 16 Iowa, No. 19 Illinois, No. 30 Michigan State, No. 34 Nebraska, No. 36 Maryland, No. 43 Purdue and No. 48 Penn State

• The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) is the primary sorting tool used for determining NCAA Tournament teams.

THE MAKIRA COOK TAKEOVER

After being held to just four first-half points at Butler, Makira Cook came out of the lockerroom in the second half and struck for 18 points, including 14 in the third quarter to finish with 22 on the night. She’s up to four-straight 20+ point games and is the first Illini to do so since Amber Moore during the 2013-14 season. Cook and Moore are the only two Illini to score 20+ in four consecutive games since at least 2008-09. Cook is up to five 20+ point showings on the season.

B1G HOME WIN

• Illinois earned an 80-62 win over Rutgers in its B1G home opener to move to 1-1 in league play. 
• Illinois won its scheduled Big Ten home opener for the first time since 2016-17. 
• This was the Illini’s first Big Ten win by 10 points or more against a team other than Wisconsin for the first time since defeating Nebraska 79-59 on Jan. 15, 2017. 
• Illinois scored 80 points in a Big Ten win for the first time since Feb. 5, 2015, against Minnesota. 

BIG TEN OPENERS

• Illinois open its 41st season of Big Ten women’s basketball on Sunday at No. 5/4 Indiana. The Illini are 14-27 all-time in conference openers following the close loss, and have dropped six-straight league openers. 
• Illinois last began Big Ten Play 1-0 after a 70-65 home win over Iowa to open the 2016-17 Big Ten schedule. 
• The Illini began conference play on the road for the third-straight season, opening the last two seasons at Michigan State and Nebraska, respectively.

COOK’S CAREER NIGHT LEADS ILLINI TO NEAR UPSET

• Makira Cook scored a career-high 33 points and added five rebounds in Illinois’ 61-65 loss at No. 5/4 Indiana on Dec. 4 in the B1G opener.
• Cook scored at least 20 points in back-to-back games and three times on the season.
• She finished 6-for-6 from the free throw line, 3-for-4 from deep and 12-for-25 from the field.
• The junior became the first Illini to score 30 or more points since Alex Wittinger dropped 32 on Nov. 24, 2018 against Sacramento State.

THREE-POINT BARRAGE IN ACC/B1G CHALLENGE

• Illinois women’s basketball rose to the top of the national 3-point percentage ranks after a 14-for-24 effort at Pitt on Nov. 30. That outing matched the second-most 3-pointers made by the Illini in a game all-time.
• Jada Peebles went 6-for-7 from deep against the Panthers, becoming just the 20th Illini to ever make 6 or more 3s in a game. She tied for the 7th most makes in a game all-time.
• Illinois won the first ACC/B1G Challenge in eight years with the 91-72 win at Pittsburgh.
• Through eight games, the Illini made 64 treys to just 32 by their opponents. Last season, the Illini made 157 total 3-pointers, working at a 31.8% rate.

NAME OF THE GAME IS DEFENSE

Illinois women’s basketball has instilled the goal of holding opponents to 10 points or less per quarter. Through 10 games, Illinois has limited opposition to 10 or less points in 10 of 44 chances. Opponents have been held below 15 points in 28 of those 44 periods.

BEST STARTS TO A SEASON

In the first season under Shauna Green, Illinois women’s basketball tied the second-best start in program with a 6-0 mark before suffering a loss. The Illini’s start was the best for the program in 35 years.

FIRST SEASONS AT A NEW SCHOOL

Shauna Green has quickly taken Illinois women’s basketball out to a refreshing start. Green is one of 38 head coaches in their first season at a new school this season. Additionally, Green’s 6-0 start put her in elite company. The following are teams that have secured a better start than Illinois – just two.

COMPLETE GAME NOTES (PDF)