Northwestern University Athletics
Sunday, January 18
Champaign, Ill.
2 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Illinois
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
‘Cats Head Downstate For Sunday Matinee At No. 25 Illinois
1/17/2026 3:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Northwestern looks to push win streak to three games
EVANSTON, Ill. (January 17, 2026) – Fresh off back-to-back wins at home, Northwestern (8-10, 2-5 B1G) ventures back out on the road on Sunday for a 2 p.m. CT matchup with No. 25 Illinois inside State Farm Center. Sunday's clash with the Fighting Illini begins a stretch that sees the 'Cats play three of their next four games away from Welsh-Ryan Arena.
LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern rallied back from a 10-point first-half deficit to defeat visiting Wisconsin, 66-61, this past Thursday at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats were bolstered by a balanced effort that saw a quartet of starters score in double figures.
For the 13th time this season, Grace Sullivan paced Northwestern, leading all scorers with 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block. Caroline Lau cracked the 10-point mark for the second time in as many games, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds, and a game-high nine assists.
Tayla Thomas was a force inside, posting 13 points and 10 rebounds en route to her fifth career double-double. Over the past two games, Thomas is averaging 13.0 rebounds. Fresh off a career-best 21-point performance in a win over Rutgers, Casey Harter added 10 points and a season-best four assists.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Currently slotted at No. 25 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, Illinois (14-4, 4-3 B1G) has dropped three of its last four games, most recently falling to No. 8 Michigan, 85-69, last Thursday at the Crisler Center. The Fighting Illini are led by fourth-year head coach Shauna Green, who served as an assistant coach on Joe McKeown's staff during the 2015-16 campaign.
Green's team has protected its home floor this season, going 10-1 (.909) on the State Farm Center hardwood. Back on January 1, the Fighting Illini picked up one of the signature wins of Green's tenure, knocking off No. 7 Maryland, 73-70, behind a game-high 22 points from Berry Wallace.
Wallace has served as the focal point of the Illinois offense, putting up 19.1 points per game to lead a quartet of Fighting Illini who average in double figures. The sophomore standout has 10 games of 20-plus points to her name this season. Cearah Parchment has quickly established herself as one of the conference's top rebounders as a freshman, pulling down 7.7 caroms per game, a mark that ranks sixth in the Big Ten. Parchment, who has notched a trio of double-doubles, put up a season-high 20 points against No. 19 Ohio State on January 7.
SERIES STUFF
Winners of six straight against the 'Cats, Illinois has trimmed Northwestern's lead in the all-time series between the two in-state rivals to 49-40 (.551). In 39 road tilts with Illinois, Northwestern holds a narrow 20-19 (.513) advantage. Prior to an 85-79 Fighting Illini win on January 5, 2023, Northwestern had previously rattled off 14 straight victories against Illinois.
When the two teams met last season at State Farm Center, Northwestern chipped a 21-point deficit down to single digits late in the fourth quarter, but saw time run out on its comeback hopes as it dropped a 73-60 decision to Illinois on February 6, 2025. Caileigh Walsh led the 'Cats in the defeat with 17 points.
UP NEXT
Northwestern will be idle until Sunday, January 25 when it welcomes No. 3 UCLA to Welsh-Ryan Arena for a 3 p.m. CT tip-off that will air on Big Ten Network.
LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern rallied back from a 10-point first-half deficit to defeat visiting Wisconsin, 66-61, this past Thursday at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats were bolstered by a balanced effort that saw a quartet of starters score in double figures.
For the 13th time this season, Grace Sullivan paced Northwestern, leading all scorers with 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block. Caroline Lau cracked the 10-point mark for the second time in as many games, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds, and a game-high nine assists.
Tayla Thomas was a force inside, posting 13 points and 10 rebounds en route to her fifth career double-double. Over the past two games, Thomas is averaging 13.0 rebounds. Fresh off a career-best 21-point performance in a win over Rutgers, Casey Harter added 10 points and a season-best four assists.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Currently slotted at No. 25 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, Illinois (14-4, 4-3 B1G) has dropped three of its last four games, most recently falling to No. 8 Michigan, 85-69, last Thursday at the Crisler Center. The Fighting Illini are led by fourth-year head coach Shauna Green, who served as an assistant coach on Joe McKeown's staff during the 2015-16 campaign.
Green's team has protected its home floor this season, going 10-1 (.909) on the State Farm Center hardwood. Back on January 1, the Fighting Illini picked up one of the signature wins of Green's tenure, knocking off No. 7 Maryland, 73-70, behind a game-high 22 points from Berry Wallace.
Wallace has served as the focal point of the Illinois offense, putting up 19.1 points per game to lead a quartet of Fighting Illini who average in double figures. The sophomore standout has 10 games of 20-plus points to her name this season. Cearah Parchment has quickly established herself as one of the conference's top rebounders as a freshman, pulling down 7.7 caroms per game, a mark that ranks sixth in the Big Ten. Parchment, who has notched a trio of double-doubles, put up a season-high 20 points against No. 19 Ohio State on January 7.
SERIES STUFF
Winners of six straight against the 'Cats, Illinois has trimmed Northwestern's lead in the all-time series between the two in-state rivals to 49-40 (.551). In 39 road tilts with Illinois, Northwestern holds a narrow 20-19 (.513) advantage. Prior to an 85-79 Fighting Illini win on January 5, 2023, Northwestern had previously rattled off 14 straight victories against Illinois.
When the two teams met last season at State Farm Center, Northwestern chipped a 21-point deficit down to single digits late in the fourth quarter, but saw time run out on its comeback hopes as it dropped a 73-60 decision to Illinois on February 6, 2025. Caileigh Walsh led the 'Cats in the defeat with 17 points.
UP NEXT
Northwestern will be idle until Sunday, January 25 when it welcomes No. 3 UCLA to Welsh-Ryan Arena for a 3 p.m. CT tip-off that will air on Big Ten Network.
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/ Women's BasketballWomen's Basketball - Northwestern Rallies Back, Downs Wisconsin, 66-61 (1/15/26)
Friday, January 16
Women's Basketball - Wisconsin Post Game Press Conference
Friday, January 16
Women's Basketball - Harter’s Career Day Guides ’Cats Past Rutgers, 73-54 (1/11/26)
Sunday, January 11
Women's Basketball - Rutgers Postgame Press Conference (1/11/26)
Sunday, January 11
