Northwestern faces tough test vs No. 12 Illinois

Published Jan. 6, 2021 6:30 a.m. ET

Associated Press

No. 12 Illinois (8-3, 4-1) vs. Northwestern (6-3, 3-2)

Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Illinois; Thursday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: No. 12 Illinois presents a tough challenge for Northwestern. Northwestern has won two of its four games against ranked opponents this season. Illinois has moved up to No. 12 in the latest AP rankings following wins over Penn State and Indiana last week.

SAVVY SENIORS: Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu, Trent Frazier and Da'Monte Williams have collectively scored 45 percent of the team's points this season, including 45 percent of all Fighting Illini scoring over the last five games.

SPARKING THE OFFENSE: Dosunmu has either made or assisted on 45 percent of all Illinois field goals over the last three games. The junior guard has accounted for 25 field goals and 13 assists in those games.

PERFECT WHEN: The Wildcats are 5-0 when they score at least 74 points and 1-3 when they fall shy of that total. The Fighting Illini are 6-0 when they hold opponents to a field goal percentage of 40.3 percent or worse, and 2-3 when opponents exceed that percentage.

STREAK STATS: Northwestern has won its last three home games, scoring an average of 83.3 points while giving up 61.

DID YOU KNOW: The Northwestern offense has recorded a turnover on only 14.8 percent of its possessions, which is the 13th-best rate in the country. The Illinois defense has forced opposing teams to turn the ball over on just 15.4 percent of all possessions (ranked 326th among Division I teams).

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