Gophers at a glance: After a big home win Thursday over Iowa, Minnesota (15-9, 4-6 Big Ten) has an important game at Illinois. The Gophers dropped a competitive 91-86 decision at home to the Illini two weeks ago, but a win Sunday and another one Feb. 17 at home against Northwestern would get them back to .500 in the conference. Sophomore G Rachel Banham had 34 points in the win over Iowa, the third time in the past four games she has topped 30 points.
Illinois at a glance: In Big Ten play, the Illini (13-9, 6-4) have the strange distinction of being 5-1 on the road and 1-3 at home. They are second in the conference in scoring offense (72.0 ppg), while Minnesota is third at 71.9, so expect another high-scoring affair. Karisma Penn (18.5 ppg) and Adrienne Godbold (18.2 ppg) provide a solid one-two offensive punch. Two other starters also average in double figures.
MICHAEL RAND
