How to Watch: Illinois Women vs. Creighton in NCAA Tournament First Round

The Illini face a seasoned Bluejays in seeking their first NCAA Tournament win in 25 years

Feb 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Genesis Bryant (1) dribbles the ball up the court as UCLA Bruins guard Elina Aarnisalo (7) defend during the second quarter at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

How to Watch

No. 8 seed Illinois (21-9) vs. No. 9 seed Creighton (26-6)

Day and time: Saturday (March 22) at 6:15 p.m. CT
Venue: Moody Center, Austin, Texas
TV: ESPNews
Stream: N/A
Listen: WDWS-AM 1400 (Champaign)
WLS-AM 890 (Chicago)
Illini Sports Network affiliates (other local markets)
Varsity Network app

Odds and Ends

Illinois vs. Creighton all time: Illinois leads the series 1-0
Streak: Illinois has won one in a row against Creighton
Last meeting: Illinois 87, Creighton 71 (Dec. 7, 1996, Corvallis, Oregon)

Probable Illinois starters:
G Genesis Bryant
G Adalia McKenzie
F Berry Wallace
F Brynn Shoup-Hill
C Kendall Bostic

The madness starts tomorrow.

🆚 [9] No. 23 Creighton
🕕 6:15 PM CT
📍 Austin, Texas // Moody Center
📺 ESPNews
🏀 NCAA Tournament First Round pic.twitter.com/qpI4cp49fE

— Illinois Women's Basketball (@IlliniWBB) March 21, 2025

Smart-Fan Stuff

Key stat: 36.7 percent

Creighton is a seasoned NCAA Tournament team (four appearances in a row), and Bluejays coach Jim Flanery – in his 23rd season in Omaha – is one of women's college basketball's master chefs. Running a lot of off-ball-screen actions to free up a variety of quality shooters, Creighton ranks No. 17 in Division I in three-point shooting (36.7 percent).

Depth continues to be an issue in Illinois' injury-plagued season, and Creighton will force Illini defenders to chase its shooters and work over screens. But the lone benefit of an early bounce from the Big Ten Tournament for Illinois is a 16-day break between games. With rest and a perimeter defense that holds opponents to 28.4 percent three-point shooting, the Illini should have an answer for the Bluejays' best weapon.

Quick tips

1. Illinois hasn't kept up with Creighton's perimeter-shooting levels over the season – but it's getting there. The Illini are taking more threes lately, while hitting them at a far higher clip. After shooting 29.6 percent on an average 15.6 three-point attempts through 18 games, they have hit 41.1 percent from long range on an average 18.4 three-point tries.

2. Freshman forward Berry Wallace, who missed nearly all of November because of a hand injury, has gradually ramped up her play throughout the season. She has started the past four games and has scored in double figures in nine of her past 14. Wallace's combination of three-point shooting and rebounding could make her Illinois' X-factor against Creighton.

Illinois on SI Prediction

Saturday will mark the second NCAA Tournament appearance in three seasons for Illinois under coach Shauna Green – a massive departure from the drought that preceded it, dating back to 2000. In fact, 25 years have passed since the Illini last won a game in the NCAAs.

But Green is clearly building something in Champaign, and even in the face of multiple injuries ending the seasons of key contributors, this group has been astonishingly resilient. Guards Genesis Bryant and Adalia McKenzie are one of the more potent and dynamic backcourts in the tournament, and each has played exceptionally well down the stretch despite being called on to play all 40 minutes on multiple occasions.

The difference-maker for Illinois, however, is Kendall Bostic. Creighton lacks a counter to what Bostic brings to the matchup, including post offense, rugged rebounding and a reliable jumper out to the three-point arc. If Bostic, Berry and Brynn Shoup-Hill take care of the glass and the Illini are sharp in their defensive rotations, the Bluejays won't have enough perimeter firepower to match Illinois' more dynamic offense.

Illinois 70, Creighton 67

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

NCAA.com Projects Tournament Path for Illinois Women's Basketball

Social Media Sounds Off About Illini Women's NCAA Tournament Berth

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