Gophers at a glance: Minnesota will look to stop a three-game losing streak against Illinois. The Gophers (13-7 overall) are 2-4 in Big Ten play after falling to Purdue, Nebraska and Penn State. The Gophers committed 23 turnovers against the eighth-ranked Lady Lions on Thursday. Sophomore guard Rachel Banham, the Big Ten's second-leading scorer (20.3 ppg), needs 15 points to reach 1,000 for her career. Junior Micaella Riche is averaging 12.7 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds.
Illinois at a glance: The Fighting Illini (10-8, 3-3 Big Ten) are coming off a 62-58 loss to Northwestern. Senior Karisma Penn is a double-double machine, averaging 18.6 points and 10.3 rebounds. Penn leads the conference in blocks and is tied for third in steals. Senior Adrienne Godbold is averaging 22 points and eight rebounds the past four games.
AARON PAITICH
