Indiana Women's Basketball Will Face Illinois Following a Fighting Illini 2-Week COVID-19 Pause

The No. 7-ranked Hoosiers were supposed to play Illinois back in January, but the Fighting Illini faced a three-game COVID-19 pause and are just now back to play this week. Indiana will head to Champaign to face Illinois on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. ET.

IU Athletics

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — On Wednesday, the Hoosiers will hit the road to Champaign, Ill. to take on the Fighting Illini. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on BTN+. 

Indiana was originally supposed to play Illinois on Jan. 27, but the Fighting Illini entered a three-game postponement stint due to positive COVID-19 cases within the program.

Illinois resumed play with Wisconsin on Sunday and lost to the Badgers 70-62. This was the fourth loss in a row for Illinois with its only Big Ten win being Wisconsin earlier in the season.

The Fighting Illini are led by sophomore guard Aaliyah Nye leading the way with 11.2 points per game. Sophomore forward Kendall Bostic is one of the league's best rebounders tallying 11.9 boards per game. 

Illinois is averaging 65.3 points per game and is shooting 40.1 percent from the field compared to Indiana's 71.5 points and 45.9 field goal percentage.

The Hoosiers hold a 12-game win streak over Illinois serving as the longest win streak over any Big Ten rival. They are coming off a win over in state rival Purdue where graduate student guard Nicole Cardaño-Hillary led the team with 19 points.

In the past three games, Cardaño-Hillary has shot 45 percent from the floor and 50 percent from the arc. She has averaged six rebounds and 4.3 steals to top it off.

"We do consider ourselves a stingy, half court defensive team that really understands scouting reports, that understand rotations, that understand where our gaps need to come from," Indiana head coach Teri Moren said.

Sophomore guard Chloe Moore-McNeil is seeing more minutes off the bench following starting junior forward Mackenzie Holmes's knee injury preventing her from seeing the court.

Moore-McNeil is coming off her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds against Purdue setting a career record for herself.

"Coming off the bench, sometimes that's hard to get momentum into your own game, and the fact that she can bring energy to everyone else's game is pretty incredible," graduate student guard Nicole Cardaño-Hillary said.

The team has adjusted to being without Holmes who averages 17.9 points per game and have won its past two games by double digits.

"We have had some adversity, but I remember Coach Moren telling all of us as a team whatever you're doing now, just give a little bit more," Moore-McNeil said. "Everyone contribute a little bit more. I think that has helped with Mack being out."

The Hoosiers are already shorthanded after losing graduate student guard Caitlin Hose and sophomore guard Keyarah Berry who quit the team earlier this season. Indiana's bench has seen more minutes, and each one is valuable, Moren said.

"Kait Peterson has come off and has done some really nice things for us as well," Moren said. "Grace Waggoner, and you know Chloe. It's just a matter of when your number's called and you being ready."

The Hoosiers only have six games of regular season ball left including the matchup against Illinois. The team has faced adversity with its three-game pause and sidelining Holmes due to injury, but the bench is ready to rise up along with the remaining starting four.

"I think what you've seen with these guys is they're being called upon to play really important minutes for us," Moren said. "I think all of them are super locked in on what we need to do to win the game."

How to watch Indiana at Illinois

• Who: Indiana Hoosiers (16-3, 8-1 Big Ten) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (6-12, 1-6 Big Ten)
• When: 8 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Feb. 9
• Where: State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill.
• TV: BTN+
• Radio: WHCC 105.1 FM

Related stories on Indiana women's basketball

• HOOSIERS BEAT PURDUE FOR SECOND TIME THIS SEASON: There were 7,891 fans who witnessed Indiana take down rival Purdue 64-57 on Sunday, the fifth-largest crowd in program history at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Nicole Cardaño-Hillary led the Hoosiers with 19 points, and sophomore Chloe Moore-McNeil earned her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. CLICK HERE. 
• INDIANA FACES PURDUE FOR SECOND TIME THIS SEASON: The Hoosiers will face the Boilermakers at home this time on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Indiana claimed the Barn Burner Trophy in its last meeting with Purdue and have already had two games of practice since then without starting forward Mackenzie Holmes who's still out with a knee injury. CLICK HERE.
• HOOSIERS VS. SPARTANS IS BACK ON: Four games on Indiana's schedule have been postponed this season due to COVID-19 protocol. The matchup versus Michigan State is the first game to be rescheduled. Fans are encouraged to "Head to the Hall" for only $1 tickets on Feb. 12 for the rescheduled game. CLICK HERE.