Nebraska WBB vs Illinois Season Finale Preview

Nebraska Cornhuskers (19-9, 11-6 Big Ten) at Illinois Fighting Illini (13-14, 7-10 Big Ten)

Sunday, March 3, 2024, 3 p.m. (CT)

State Farm Center - Champaign, Illinois

Television: BTN / FOX Sports App

Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (2:30 p.m.) Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst) B107.3 FM (Lincoln), 105.9 FM (Omaha), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Live Stats: Huskers.com

Nebraska will take aim at its 20th win of the season, which would be the second 20-win season in the past three years under Coach Amy Williams. She also led the Big Red to a 20-win campaign in 2018. This team shows all the hallmarks of the best Williams teams at Nebraska. 1) Players who know their role and play it well, 2) Those roles create a team dynamic that adds up to more than the sum of the parts, and 3) Players have the talent to step beyond their role if needed.

For #3, I’m especially thinking of scoring. Several Huskers have produced double digit games this season to keep the team afloat when one of the scorers has faltered.

The Huskers are searching for their 12th Big Ten win of the year, which would match the second-most conference wins in school history, trailing only a perfect 16-0 Big 12 championship season in 2009-10. NU’s 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen team (12-4) and the 2014 Big Ten Tournament champion Huskers (12-4) are the only other teams in Nebraska history to achieve 12-win conference campaigns.

Nebraska seems firmly in the NCAA tournament conversation with seeding being the biggest mystery left. However, they cannot overlook Illinois. The Illini are a more dangerous team than their record suggests and have the ability to win this game if the Huskers aren’t focused all four quarters.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (19-9, 11-6 Big Ten - NCAA NET 27)

22 - Natalie Potts - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 10.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg

40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Jr. - C/F - 15.9 ppg, 10.8 rpg

1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 12.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg

2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - Fr. - G - 6.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg

15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Jr. - G - 3.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg

Off the Bench

0 - Darian White - 5-6 - Gr. - G - 7.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg

14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - So. - G - 6.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg

12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 4.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg

21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 3.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg

42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 2.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg

32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 2.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg

Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998) Eighth Season at Nebraska (133-108); 17th Season Overall (326-217)

Illinois Fighting Illini (13-14, 7-10 Big Ten - NCAA NET 47)

44 - Kendall Bostic - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 12.4 ppg, 10.3 rpg

41 - Camille Hobby - 6-3 - 5th - C - 9.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg

1 - Genesis Bryant - 5-6 - Sr. - G - 14.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg

3 - Makira Cook - 5-6 - Sr. - G - 15.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg

24 - Adalia McKenzie - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 11.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg

Off the Bench

5 - Gretchen Dolan - 5-11 - Fr. - G - 4.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg

23 - Brynn Shoup-Hill - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 3.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg

22 - Shay Bollin - 6-3 - So. - F - 2.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg

4 - Kam’Ren Rhodes - 5-6 - So. - G - 1.4 ppg, 0.9 rpg

11 - Jada Peebles (OUT) - 5-10 - 5th - G - 4.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg

Head Coach: Shauna Green (Canisius, 2002) Second Season at Illinois (35-24); 10th Season Overall (191-99)

Scouting Illinois

Coach Shauna Green is in her second season leading the Illini after guiding Illinois to its first 20-win campaign in 15 seasons (2007-08) a year ago. The Fighting Illini finished 22-10 and 11-7 in the Big Ten last season after falling in the NCAA First Four to Mississippi State (70-56).

Illinois returned starters Makira Cook, Kendall Bostic, Genesis Bryant, Adalia McKenzie and Brynn Shoup-Hill along with top player off the bench Jada Peebles from a year ago. They also added 6-3 NC State transfer Camille Hobby, who is averaging 9.3 points and 4.5 rebounds this year. However, the Illini have struggled to a 13-14 record, including a 56-48 loss at Nebraska (Jan. 11).

It was Nebraska’s second straight win in the series, including a 90-57 run past then-No. 25 Illinois on Senior Day (Feb. 22, 2023) at the State Farm Center. Nebraska is 10-1 in the last 11 meetings with Illinois, including five straight wins in Champaign.