The Terps look to capture their second straight victory.
In a shaky performance, No. 14 Maryland women’s basketball got the job done Wednesday night at Penn State, breaking its three-game losing streak.
The Terps look to build on that performance Sunday at Xfinity Center against a tougher opponent in the Fighting Illini.
The game will tip-off at 1 p.m. and broadcast on Big Ten Plus.
Illinois Fighting Illini (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten)
Illinois has been a solid team in the Big Ten this season, but hasn’t ascended to compete with the conference’s top programs.
The Illini’s only victory over a team that is above them in the conference standings came over Oregon, but they have failed to capitalize on tougher challenges against Minnesota and No. 8 Ohio State.
The Illini’s best win of the season came early when they took down then-No. 19 Florida State in their season opener. Still, third-year head coach Shauna Green has prevented Illinois from being an easy out for any opponent.
Players to watch
Kendall Bostic, 6-foot-2 graduate forward, No. 44 — Bostic is the focal point of the Illini’s offense and a force to be reckoned with in the paint. The graduate student is averaging a 16 points and 11 rebounds this season. Her matchup with Christina Dalce will be a battle to keep an eye on.
Genesis Bryant, 5-foot-6 graduate guard, No. 1 — Bryant is the floor general for Illinois and a serious scoring threat. She’s can score on all three levels and is its biggest deep threat, shooting over 37% from downtown. She is coming off a 28-point performance against Rutgers and will likely come out firing against the Terps.
Makira Cook, 5-foot-6 graduate guard, No. 3 — Cook and Bryant form Illinois’ backcourt and have similar profiles. Cook leads the team with 3.6 assists per game, while also putting up just under 12 points per contest. The two speedy guards should keep Maryland’s guards honest.
Strength
Experience. Illinois is led by an experienced core of three graduate students and a senior, who do much of its heavy lifting offensively. All of them have been playing together for multiple years and have seen much of what the Big Ten can throw at them. It should give the group poise playing in a hostile College Park environment.
Weakness
Depth. Illinois roster is extremely top heavy, and Greene has recently been using just six players in most games. Maryland’s depth has been a problem at times this year, and it is significantly deeper than Illinois. Head coach Brenda Frese may look to exploit that by going a bit deeper into her bench than she does most games.
Three things to watch
1. Shyanne Sellers’ recovery. In her first game back from injury, Sellers didn’t look like herself at Penn State. Maryland will hope to see its star get back to her typical form, especially with the postseason nearing. Her role has become exponentially more important since Bri McDaniel’s injury.
2. Can Maryland get hot for the road trip? After Illinois, Maryland will be introduced to the new Big Ten with a West Coast road trip to play both Washington and Oregon. The experience should be a novel one, even for the tenured Frese.
3. 600 watch. Frese is just one victory away from achieving 600 wins as Maryland’s head coach. She is already top-30 among active head coaches in total victories.