Illinois women’s basketball welcomes No. 25 Florida State to State Farm Center
Guard Sara Anastasieska dribbles the ball past SIUE player on Nov. 18. The Illini will be hosting against Florida State on Thursday.
December 2, 2021
The Illinois women’s basketball team returns to Champaign on Thursday to face off against the Florida State Seminoles, who are the 25th ranked team in the nation. This matchup is one of 14 different games for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
The Illini come into this matchup with a 3-3 record after dropping both their games at the Daytona Beach Invitational. Dayton and Middle Tennessee caused Illinois loads of trouble, however, it was a good lesson before taking on a ranked opponent.
The Illini played well at home to start the year, winning three of their four games to kick off the 2021-2022 campaign. Through six games, their offense has averaged 66.3 points per game, which is 6.7 more points than last season.
On the other hand, the 4-2 Florida State Seminoles will be quite the handful to deal with on Thursday. Florida State also began their season with a slew of wins, but they lost their last two at the St. Pete Showcase in Florida to BYU and Purdue.
The Seminoles main offense threat throughout this game will be senior guard Morgan Jones. The 2021 WBCA Honorable Mention All-American and All-ACC First Team selection averages 15 points per game and 6.7 rebounds. Along with Jones, redshirt senior guard Bianca Jackson is the team’s second-leading scorer at 10.3 points per game.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
If Illinois wants any chance of upsetting Florida State, they’ll need a balanced offensive effort from not only their starters but their bench too.
Sophomore guard Aaliyah Nye has been solid so far this season, as she averages 12.2 points per game. Jayla Oden, Jada Peebles and Kendall Bostic will all play vital roles in not only the Illini’s offensive output but keeping the Seminoles’ scoring to a minimum.
This is the first time Illinois and Florida State have met since December of 1990, where the Seminoles won 78-66 on a neutral court during a tournament in Virginia.
Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at the State Farm Center, and the game will be streamed on B1G+, with Mike Koon calling the matchup on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network (1400 AM / 93.9 FM).
@WillPayne3
