Jan. 22, 2018
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State women's basketball team closes a two-game homestand when it hosts Illinois on Tuesday, Jan. 23 inside the Bryce Jordan Center. The Big Ten contest between the Lady Lions (12-8, 3-4 B1G) and Fighting Illini (9-12, 0-7 B1G) will tip off at 7 p.m. and be available via BTN2go and on GoPSUsports.com.
Tickets
// Single-game tickets for the 2017-18 Penn State women's basketball season are still available . For information or to purchase tickets visit GoPSUsports.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 9 a.m-4:30 p.m.
Gameday Promotions
// White Out the BJC
// Penn State Club Sports Night
// Post-Game Autograph Session: Sarah McMurtry and Jaida Travascio-Green
Follow Along
// Fans can follow along with Penn State's home contest vs. Illinois on Twitter and Instagram (@PennStateWBB), or via live audio, live stats and live video with the links to the right.
Series Quick Facts
// Penn State and Illinois will meet for the 50th time in program history, with the Lady Lions owning a 34-15 edge. MORE ON PAGE 4
// This will mark the only meeting this season, after the two teams met twice in each of the last two campaigns.
// Penn State enters with a four-game winning streak and has won 11 of the last 12 contests vs. the Illini.
// Penn State is 8-4 all-time on Jan. 23, including a 5-2 mark in Big Ten play, along with a victory over Illinois in 2017. MORE ON PAGE 3
Opening Tips
// Junior Teniya Page poured in 31 points vs. Rutgers on Jan. 18 to mark the sixth 30-point game of her career and write her name in some elite company, again, in Penn State history. MORE ON PAGE 3, 5 & 36
// Redshirt-sophomore Amari Carter scored 21 points at Wisconsin on Jan. 14 for her fifth 20-point game of the season and sixth of her career, accounting for at least 45 percent of Penn State's offense for the sixth time this season. MORE ON PAGE 3, 8 & 30
// Sophomore Jaida Travascio-Green has rounded her game off this season and is more than just a 3-point specialist, as the sophomore has already eclipsed a pair of statistical marks from her rookie campaign. MORE ON PAGE 11 & 46
// Penn State faced its toughest start to a conference season in program history, facing three ranked foes in its first four games to start the B1G slate. MORE ON PAGE 14
// Penn State currently ranks among the NCAA top-20 in free throws attempted and free throws made. MORE ON PAGE 12 & 23
// The Lady Lions closed out a four-game true road game swing at Michigan on Dec. 28, a stretch that is tied for the sixth-longest in program history and longest since 2006-07. MORE ON PAGE 13
// Head coach Coquese Washington is looking for her 200th career victory, entering the game with 193 career wins. MORE ON PAGE 13
// Penn State is one of 11 Division I programs to enter the 2017-18 season with zero seniors on its roster, including one of only two power five conference teams. MORE ON PAGE 13
Scouting the Fighting Illini
// After starting the season 9-4, Illinois is in the midst of a eight-game skid, including seven-straight losses to start Big Ten play.
// Junior Alex Wittinger leads the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots this season. The forward is averaging 13.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game.
// Wittinger ranks No. 29 nationally and No. 3 in the Big Ten with her 2.3 blocked shots per game, while also ranking No. 38 and No. 4, respectively, with eight double-double performances this season.
// Of Wittinger's 8.8 rebounds per game, an average of four of those come on the offensive glass, a total that is No. 20 in the NCAA and No. 3 in the Big Ten.
// Sophomore Brandi Beasley is the only other Illini student-athlete in double-figures for the season, scoring 11.8 points per game.
// Beasley also leads the team in assists with 77 and steals with 28, while chipping in 4.2 rebounds, which rank No. 2 on the team.
Last Five Games
// Penn State is 3-2 over its last five games, with wins over Indiana on Jan. 3 and Rutgers on Jan. 18 at the Bryce Jordan Center and a victory over Wisconsin at the Kohl Center on Jan. 14.
// Looking at the three main statistical categories, Penn State is minus-2.4 in scoring margin and even in rebounding margin, while owning a plus-2.2 edge in turnover margin.
// During the five game stretch, Penn State has seen three of those games decided by five-or-fewer points, one decided by seven points and the other a 20-point margin.
// Junior Teniya Page is pouring in 20.0 points per game on 50.0 percent shooting from the field and 77.4 percent shooting from the free throw stripe.
// Page has connected on 33-of-66 shots from the floor and 24-of-31 from the charity stripe.
// Redshirt-sophomore Amari Carter ranks second on the team with 17.6 points per game during the five-game stretch, including a pair of 20-point games (26 vs. Indiana; 21 at Wisconsin).
// Carter also leads the team with 18 assists and 18 steals over that span.
// Sophomore Jaida Travascio-Green is the only other Lady Lion averaging in double-figures over the last five games, chipping in 12.3 points per game.
// Travascio-Green has reached the 10-point mark in four of those games, hitting a team-best 13 3-pointers over that stretch.
// Redshirt-sophomore De'Janae Boykin leads the team with 8.2 rebounds per game, including a pair of 10-plus rebound efforts.
Last Meeting -- Penn State 80, at Illinois 62 (Feb. 14, 2017)
// Lindsey Spann led the team with 15 points and in moved up two spots on the career scoring list and into No. 33 at that point.
// Sierra Moore poured in 14 points for her 16th double-figure scoring game of the season.
// Moore added a team-high-tying nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in the game.
// Teniya Page produced her 10th-straight double-digit scoring game and 48th of her career with 14 points.
// Page moved into the No. 39 spot on the career scoring list at that point, passing Dana Eikenberg (952, 1989-92) and ending the night with 966 points.
// Page also ticked up one spot on the career assist charts with six helpers vs. Illinois, moving her career total to a then-No. 23 227 helpers, vaulting past Carol Fultz (224, 1982-84).
// Adding to Page's night was a then-career-high nine rebounds.
// Kaliyah Mitchell also reached double-figures with 11 points, adding nine rebounds.
// The Lady Lions out-rebounded the Illini 51-28, marking the most rebounds in a game since corralling 62 boards vs. Northwestern last season on Dec. 31, 2015.
// Making eight 3-pointers, Penn State posted its 11th game of the 2016-17 season with eight-or-more made triples.
// Penn State's bench out-scored Illinois' reserves, 34-13, to mark the 23rd time in 2016-17 the bench owned the scoring advantage.
// Penn State led from start to finish, marking the third time in 2016-17 they never trailed, and first in Big Ten play.
Complete notes packet available by clicking here.