Three seniors, guards Maggie Acuna, Janelle Hughes and center Brittany Daugherty, will play their last game at Assembly Hall Thursday as the Illini host the Iowa Hawkeyes.

“It’s a little bit exciting but also a little bit sad,” Acuna said. “Hopefully, we will come out and get a big win.”

The Illini last played a game seven days ago against Northwestern as they defeated the Wildcats 60-59 to snap their eight-game losing streak and improve their record to 13-12 overall and 5-9 in Big Ten play.

“Practice was more delightful, but we stayed together and did what we needed to do,” Illini head coach Theresa Grentz said.

Freshman guard Chelsea Gordon converted a three-point play with 2.3 seconds left to give the Illini a win that was desperately needed.

Gordon started the game in place of Hughes by coach’s decision. Hughes appeared to get the message that Grentz was trying to send by leading the team with 21 points.

“You know how coaches do and she just wanted get into my psyche and bring the best out of me,” Hughes said.

Another positive taken away from the game against Northwestern was the play off the bench.

“It was a key and they gave us a lift,” Grentz said.

Grentz will become the 10th Division-I women’s basketball coach with 650 wins if the Illini defeat Iowa, but her milestone is the farthest thing from her mind.

“I’m just trying to win two in a row, so I haven’t thought about it,” Grentz said.

Iowa enters the game at 15-10 and 8-6 in the conference, but it has lost four of its last seven games.

In their last game, the Hawkeyes defeated Michigan 67-55 as four Hawkeyes scored in double figures, led by freshman forward Megan Skouby who scored 14 points.

The Hawkeyes have won their last five games against the Illini including a 84-65 win earlier this season in Iowa City.

In that game, the Illini led by 15 points, but the Hawkeyes scored 55 points in the second half for the big victory.

The Hawkeyes were led in that game by senior guard Crystal Smith who lit up the Illini for 27 points in the game with 19 of those coming after halftime. Smith is leading the Hawkeyes in scoring, averaging 17.4 points per game. Iowa, as a team, is second in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 73.1 points per game.

“We have to have everybody, 1-14, come to play tomorrow,” Hughes said. “It’s going to have to be a collective effort.”