Indiana Women's Basketball To Play No. 21 Illinois For Second Time This Season

Indiana women's basketball will head to Champaign, Ill. to face the No. 21-ranked Fighting Illini in the teams' second meeting this season on Wednesday. Illinois is now ranked and performing very well, but the Hoosiers have their not so secret weapon Grace Berger back at point guard to ensure a competitive top-25 matchup.

© Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — You're not getting Déjà vu, but Indiana women's basketball will face the No. 21 Fighting Illini for the second time this season, except this time Illinois is ranked at No. 21.

In the last meeting at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, the Hoosiers defeated Illinois 65-61 led by senior forward Mackenzie Holmes with 23 points. Eight games later, the Gorham, Maine native still leads the team with 21.2 average points and a team-high 8.1 rebounds. 

Indiana's Mackenzie Holmes (54) shoots around Illinois' Kendall Bostic (44) for a loose ball during the first half of the Indiana versus Illinois women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022 :: © Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Though the Fighting Illini have since climbed their way up the Associated Press Poll and have won eight of their last 10 matchups, they didn't get to face the steady ball control of Hoosier point guard Grace Berger, who was out with a right knee injury the last time out.

Berger has since played in three games and is the team's fourth leading scorer with 11.1 points per contest. As a whole, the Hoosiers are shooting 50 percent from the field and only allowing opponents 57.8 points per game.

The Fighting Illini aren't too far behind at 47.1 percent from the field and holding their opponents to 62.1 points per contest. They are led by junior guard Makira Cook, who is one of three players in double-figure scoring with 18.3 points. 

Meanwhile junior forward Kendall Bostic at 6-foot-2-inches is dominating the boards with an average 10.2 rebounds per game, which leads the Big Ten.

Indiana's Sydney Parrish (33) steals the ball from Illinois' Adalia McKenzie (24) during the second half of the Indiana versus Illinois women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022 :: © Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

It's worth noting the Fighting Illini only lost to Ohio State, the No. 2 team in the country, by six points on the road on Jan. 8. Illinois then hit the road a week later to beat the Golden Gophers 70-57 as they now can sit tight at State Farm Center awaiting the Hoosiers.

Indiana has won the last 14 Illinois matchups and leads the all-time series 47-29. With it being a new year and team, the history doesn't matter as much, especially when the Hoosiers will be challenged with a road game. They have yet to lose in the Hall but did fall short to Michigan State on the road this season as their lone loss.

If Indiana can outshine the Fighting Illini, Hoosiers head coach Teri Moren will become the all-time winningest coach in program history in just nine seasons. 

How to Watch Indiana vs. Illinois

• Who: No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers (16-1)(6-1) vs. No. 21 Illinois Fighting Illini (15-3)(5-2)
• When: Wednesday Jan. 18, 2023, 8 p.m. ET
• Where: State Farm Center — Champaign, Ill.
• Broadcast: B1G+
• Radio: WHCC 105.1

Related stories on Indiana women's basketball

• YARDEN GARZON IS BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK Indiana women's basketball freshman guard Yarden Garzon has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season plus the USWBA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week as the first Hoosier to get this honor. CLICK HERE
• HOOSIERS STAY AT NO. 6 For the third week in a row, Indiana women's basketball will stay put in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The full poll plus season records are included inside the story. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA BEATS WISCONSIN IN FRONT OF RECORD-BREAKING CROWD With more than 10,400 fans to witness it, a regular season record, the Indiana women's basketball team shut down Wisconsin 93-56 led by the hot hands of Mackenzie Holmes and Yarden Garzon. CLICK HERE