University of North Carolina Athletics
Thursday, December 5
Chapel Hill, N.C.
6 PM
North Carolina
vs
Illinois
After two games away from Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels return to Carmichael Arena on Thursday to host Illinois.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Tar Heels Welcome Illinois For Big Ten/ACC Challenge
December 4, 2019 | Women's Basketball
Playing in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the UNC women's basketball team will host Illinois Thursday at 6 p.m. at Carmichael Arena. The Tar Heels return to Chapel Hill with a 6-0 record following a pair of wins at the Cancun Challenge over the Thanksgiving break.
The Tar Heels beat Temple 71-58 on Thursday and Missouri 82-69 on Friday to continue their best start since 2014. Thursday's game against Illinois is the first of back-to-back home games for Carolina, with N.C. Central visiting Carmichael on Sunday.
Tar Heels vs. Fighting Illini
UNC leads the series with Illinois 5-0. The teams last met in the 2013-14 season, when Carolina won a matchup played, coincidentally, at the Cancun Challenge. For more on that game, click here.
By the Numbers
• UNC last started 6-0 in 2014-15, when the Tar Heels won their first nine games en route to a 26-9 season.
• Senior guard Madinah Muhammad has increased or equaled her scoring totals from game-to-game in each game this season.
Her scoring totals in the team's six games are, in order: 6-13-14-14-20-24.
• Senior Taylor Koenen and junior Janelle Bailey have both scored in double figures in each game this season.
• UNC has had at least four players in double figures in each game this season. Against Charleston Southern and Missouri, five players were in double figures.
The road less traveled
UNC hosts Illinois Thursday for its fifth home game of the seven-game season. The Tar Heels opened with four home games, played two neutral-site games last week in the Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, and now return to Chapel Hill for two more games.
• UNC's first true road game is Dec. 15 at Alabama.
• UNC will play back-to-back home games on five more occasions this season, including this week. But the season-opening four-game stretch is the only time they'll be home for more than two in a row.
Big Ten Battle
Carolina is 8-4 overall in ACC/Big Ten Challenge games (or Big Ten/ACC, depending on the year) and has gone 5-1 at home.
• Last year, the Tar Heels fell 76-69 at Ohio State.
• At home in 2017-18, UNC beat Minnesota 88-83.
• The ACC is 81-55 in Challenge games.
• This is the first meeting between Carolina and Illinois in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Bailey on the Boards
On Nov. 28 against Temple, Janelle Bailey passed the 600-rebounds mark for her career. She came into the game with 599 and had five boards in the first quarter to finish with 11, her third double-figure rebounding game of the season.
She's the 26th player in school history to record 1,000 points and 600 rebounds. Heading into the Illinois game, she has 1,112 career points and 616 rebounds.
• Bailey passed 1,000 career points in the team's final game of last season, the NCAA first-round matchup with California. With 15 points in that game, she finished her first two years with 1,007.
• Only one player in program history – Dawn Royster – has reached 1,000 points and 600 rebounds quicker than Bailey. Royster passed 600 rebounds as a sophomore and started her junior year just seven points shy of 1,000.
• Bailey is the 18th player in school history to reach the 600-rebounds mark by the end of her junior season. Two players – Charlotte Smith and Dawn Royster – reached that milestone as sophomores.
• Bailey isn't the only 1,000-point scorer on this year's team: Madinah Muhammad also has passed that landmark, scoring 1,079 points in her first three years, playing at University of Mississippi.
Stellar Start
Freshman forward Malu Tshitenge has gotten off to an outstanding start at UNC. A starter in all six games, she's averaging a double-double with 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds.
After averaging 13.0 points and 12.5 rebounds in wins over Navy (Nov. 11) and Charleston Southern (Nov. 15), she was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Week on Nov. 18. It was her first honor as a Tar Heel and UNC's first weekly honor of the season.
She leads UNC in rebounds and in minutes played (31.8 per game)
The Tar Heels beat Temple 71-58 on Thursday and Missouri 82-69 on Friday to continue their best start since 2014. Thursday's game against Illinois is the first of back-to-back home games for Carolina, with N.C. Central visiting Carmichael on Sunday.
Tar Heels vs. Fighting Illini
UNC leads the series with Illinois 5-0. The teams last met in the 2013-14 season, when Carolina won a matchup played, coincidentally, at the Cancun Challenge. For more on that game, click here.
By the Numbers
• UNC last started 6-0 in 2014-15, when the Tar Heels won their first nine games en route to a 26-9 season.
• Senior guard Madinah Muhammad has increased or equaled her scoring totals from game-to-game in each game this season.
Her scoring totals in the team's six games are, in order: 6-13-14-14-20-24.
• Senior Taylor Koenen and junior Janelle Bailey have both scored in double figures in each game this season.
• UNC has had at least four players in double figures in each game this season. Against Charleston Southern and Missouri, five players were in double figures.
The road less traveled
UNC hosts Illinois Thursday for its fifth home game of the seven-game season. The Tar Heels opened with four home games, played two neutral-site games last week in the Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, and now return to Chapel Hill for two more games.
• UNC's first true road game is Dec. 15 at Alabama.
• UNC will play back-to-back home games on five more occasions this season, including this week. But the season-opening four-game stretch is the only time they'll be home for more than two in a row.
Big Ten Battle
Carolina is 8-4 overall in ACC/Big Ten Challenge games (or Big Ten/ACC, depending on the year) and has gone 5-1 at home.
• Last year, the Tar Heels fell 76-69 at Ohio State.
• At home in 2017-18, UNC beat Minnesota 88-83.
• The ACC is 81-55 in Challenge games.
• This is the first meeting between Carolina and Illinois in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Bailey on the Boards
On Nov. 28 against Temple, Janelle Bailey passed the 600-rebounds mark for her career. She came into the game with 599 and had five boards in the first quarter to finish with 11, her third double-figure rebounding game of the season.
She's the 26th player in school history to record 1,000 points and 600 rebounds. Heading into the Illinois game, she has 1,112 career points and 616 rebounds.
• Bailey passed 1,000 career points in the team's final game of last season, the NCAA first-round matchup with California. With 15 points in that game, she finished her first two years with 1,007.
• Only one player in program history – Dawn Royster – has reached 1,000 points and 600 rebounds quicker than Bailey. Royster passed 600 rebounds as a sophomore and started her junior year just seven points shy of 1,000.
• Bailey is the 18th player in school history to reach the 600-rebounds mark by the end of her junior season. Two players – Charlotte Smith and Dawn Royster – reached that milestone as sophomores.
• Bailey isn't the only 1,000-point scorer on this year's team: Madinah Muhammad also has passed that landmark, scoring 1,079 points in her first three years, playing at University of Mississippi.
Stellar Start
Freshman forward Malu Tshitenge has gotten off to an outstanding start at UNC. A starter in all six games, she's averaging a double-double with 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds.
After averaging 13.0 points and 12.5 rebounds in wins over Navy (Nov. 11) and Charleston Southern (Nov. 15), she was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Week on Nov. 18. It was her first honor as a Tar Heel and UNC's first weekly honor of the season.
She leads UNC in rebounds and in minutes played (31.8 per game)
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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