Women's Basketball Travels To Illinois For Midweek Game

Thursday, November 17

Champaign, Ill.

12:00 PM

University of Memphis

Illinois

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Women's Basketball Travels To Illinois For Midweek Game

Nov 16, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Watch Live Stats Memphis Game Notes

Tigers make return trip to Champaign for the seventh meeting between the teams

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The non-conference season continues Thursday as the University of Memphis women's basketball team travels to Champaign, Ill. to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini. Tip-off against the Illini is scheduled for 12 p.m. at the State Farm Center.

GAME 3
Memphis at Illinois
Tip-off: 12 p.m.
Location: State Farm Center
Watch | Live Stats

This is the seventh all-time meeting between the Tigers and the Fighting Illini. The first meeting, back in 1982, fell in favor of Memphis before Illinois took the next four meetings. Last year, Memphis hosted the Illini at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse and defeated the Orange and Blue by a score of 81-75.

Memphis comes into the third game of the year with a 1-1 overall record after defeating Missouri State in the home opener and falling to Samford last Sunday. Cheyenne Creighton leads the Tigers in scoring with 14.5 points per game after posting 16 against the Bears in the home opener and 13 against the Bulldogs.

Brea Elmore has also had a solid start to the season after posting a career-high 13 points in the season opener and 11 points against Samford. Against the Bulldogs last Sunday, Elmore recorded her first-ever collegiate start.

Taylor Williams, in the home opener, scored a career-high 17 points to lead Memphis to the 69-60 victory. Williams finished the game going 7-for-8 from the floor and a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Memphis has started strong defensively this season, leading the American Athletic Conference by allowing just 54.0 points per game. The Tigers also rank first in three-point defense, second in defensive rebounds, and third in field goal defense.

Illinois owns a 1-1 record after falling to Marshall by two in the season opener and defeating UAPB by 12. The Fighting Illini are led by Alex Wittinger who has averaged 19.0 points in the first two games. She also leads the team with 10.0 rebounds per game.

The Illini are averaging 61.5 points per game so far this season while committing 19.0 turnovers per contest.

Matt Bollant is the head coach of the Fighting Illini and is currently in his fifth season at the helm in Champaign. Last season, Illinois finished with a 9-21 overall record and 2-16 mark in Big Ten play. Bollant, a graduate of Winona State, has a 335-128 career record in 15 seasons and a 53-73 record at Illinois.

The game will be available to watch live on the women's basketball schedule page at www.gotigersgo.com. Live stats will also be available. Tip-off against the Fighting Illini is set for 12 p.m. as Illinois will be welcoming 1,200 students from throughout the state of Illinois to the game. For more information on the Memphis women's basketball team, follow us on Twitter at @MemphisWBB.