Le Moyne (1-5) vs. Illinois (5-1)
Info: Sunday, Nov. 30 | 3:00 P.M. ET / 2:00 P.M. CT | Champaign, Ill. | State Farm Center
Watch: B1G+
Listen: FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=622752
Illinois' Links: Schedule | Roster | News

Champaign, Ill. – The Le Moyne College women's basketball team is headed to the University of Illinois for a matchup against the Fighting Illini at 3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 30. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus and FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM from State Farm Center.

Season Summary:
The Dolphins have played to a 1-5 record through their first six games of the 2025-26 campaign, including five road games and one home contest all against non-conference opponents. They opened the season against St. John's on Nov. 3 and dropped the matchup, 68-53, before downing Lafayette, 82-79, in overtime in their lone win of the season thus far on the following Sunday, Nov. 9. Le Moyne then fell to seventh-ranked Baylor, 99-43, in Waco, T.X. on Sunday, Nov. 16 before traveling to Pitt and coming away with a 87-65 defeat on Tuesday, Nov. 18. 

Over the past week, the Dolphins dropped their home-opener to Cornell, 52-51, in overtime at Ted Grant Court on Saturday, Nov. 22 and a road matchup at Bucknell, 65-41, on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

Last Time Out:
The Bison came out on top against the 'Phins, 65-41, on Tuesday in Lewisburg, Pa. as freshman guard Peyton Dincher led the Dolphins offensively with a career-high 14 points, including six points in each of the last two quarters, while grabbing four rebounds for the fourth straight game. 

Redshirt sophomore guard Amya McLeod led the Dolphins in rebounds with a career-best seven along with adding four points, one assist and one steal in 18 minutes of play.

Freshman forward Rachel Lynch led the Dophins with three assists against Bucknell, tallying a pair of boards and one block, as well.

As a team, Le Moyne struggled offensively, shooting 26.9% from the field, 30.8% from deep, and 64.3% from the line. They added five points off turnovers, 16 points in the paint, and 27 bench points against the Bison.

Series History:
Illinois currently holds a 1-0 all-time record against Le Moyne with the program's first meeting coming just last season on Nov. 18, 2024. The #22 Fighting Illini came away with a 94-25 victory on their home court in the matchup. 

E. Clark led the Dolphins in scoring in the game one year ago, tallying seven points on 3-9 shooting from the field and a 1-5 mark from deep. She added four rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes on the hardwood. 

The only other current 'Phins to see action against Illinois were current junior forward Sydney Postell and senior guard Michelina Lombardi. Postell added two points on 1-2 shooting with a pair of rebounds in 25 minutes while Lombardi added one point from the line and one steal in 21 minutes of play.

Common Opponents:
The Dolphins and Fighting Illini have no opponents in common during the 2025-26 season. 

Year #3:
Le Moyne is in its third year transitioning to the Division I level and is the only institution in the nation in its transition "class." The Dolphins went 18-15 in their first season at the Division I level in 2023-24, including 14-2 in NEC action to earn the second seed in the postseason tournament before advancing to the conference title game. The team then posted a 7-24 overall record last season, including going 6-10 in conference play, en route to their second straight NEC tournament, this time as the fifth seed. 

Returners:
The 2025-26 Dolphins will feature six returners; senior guards Sierra Linnin (Valley Cottage, N.Y. / Albertus Magnus) and Michelina Lombardi (Wynantskill, N.Y. / Averill Park), juniors guard Jessica Wangolo (Ottawa, O.N. / Capital Courts Academy / Buffalo) and forward Sydney Postell (Churchville, N.Y. / Churchville-Chili), sophomore guard Eli Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Ocean Township), and redshirt sophomore guard Amya McLeod (Rome, N.Y. / Rome Free Academy / Youngstown State).

Newcomers:
The Dolphins welcomed eight new players to the program this year, including six freshman, one sophomore, and one junior. Guards Peyton Dincher (Jersey Shore, Pa. / Jersey Shore), Ava Lucarotti (Erie, Pa. / Cathedral Prep), and Kayden Clark (Oakhurst, N.J. / Manasquan) join forwards Ava Johnson (Richmond, Va. / The Steward School), Rachel Lynch (Cork, Ireland / Putnam Science Academy (Conn.)), and Praise Matthews (Red Lion, Pa. / Dallastown) as 'Phins freshmen this season. Junior forward Ashley Buragas (Hopewell Junction, N.Y. / John Jay / Mineral Area College) joins Le Moyne's program after a two-year stint at NJCAA Mineral Area College in Park Hills, M.O. while sophomore guard Sophia Bonnell (Horseheads, N.Y. / Horseheads / SUNY New Paltz) played one season in NCAA Division-III for the New Paltz Hawks.

NEC Outlook:
Le Moyne's squad was selected to finish fourth in the regular season standings in the NEC preseason coaches' poll, just behind unanimous favorite FDU, Stonehill, and Chicago State. CCSU, Mercyhurst, Wagner, LIU, New Haven, and Saint Francis rounded out the poll behind the Dolphins. 

Eli Clark was named to the preseason All-NEC team, as well, after recording averages of 8.2 points (third on the team), 3.3 rebounds (fifth on the team) and a team-best 2.9 assists over a team-high 31.5 minutes per game as a starter in 27 of 30 games played. During NEC action, she increased her averages to 8.5 points and 3.5 assists to go with 3.1 rebounds as a starter in 12 of 15 games.

Coach DiPillo:
Nick DiPillo was named the seventh head coach in Le Moyne women's basketball program history on May 23, 2024 after stints as an assistant coach at Bowling Green State University, University of Pittsburgh, Seton Hall University and with the New York Liberty, in addition to a successful head coaching stint at the University of Scranton. 

The Dolphins earned the fifth seed in the 2024-25 NEC tournament in coach Dipillo's first season, eventually taking down #4 Saint Francis, 62-51, in the opening round before falling to #2 Stonehill, 60-41, in the semifinals. 

Fighting Illini Facts:
Illinois has come out of the gate hot this season, earning a 5-1 record through four home games and a pair of road matchups. The 2025-26 season is head coach Shauna Green's fourth as the leader of the women's basketball program.

The Illini kicked off the season with back-to-back wins at home in the opening week against Southeast Missouri State, 91-67, on Nov. 4 and Illinois State, 75-65, on Nov. 9 before facing their only loss of the season thus far in a road contest against Oregon State, 64-59, on Nov. 14. 

The team then returned home and took down Murray State, 84-64, on Nov. 18 before traveling once again, this time to Florida State, where they routed the Seminoles, 86-63. Most recently, Illinois hosted Western Kentucky and handed them a 70-41 loss this past Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Through six games, sophomore forward Berry Wallace has put up a team-high 20.2 points with a .506 mark from the field (39-77), 47% rate from three (9-19), and a .895 free-throw percentage. Wallace is also tied with freshman forward Cearah Parchment with 7.2 rebounds per game while adding 12 assists in a team-best 34.7 minutes on average this season.

Junior guard Gretchen Dolan is the only other player on Illinois' roster averaging double-digits in scoring this season with 14.2 while sitting second in assists with 22, just one behind the team's leader, freshman guard Destiny Jackson.

Illinois brings back seven players from its 2024-25 team that went 22-10 overall and fell to #10 Nebraska in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament before also advancing to the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament. They're joined by five freshmen newcomers and three transfers, including former NEC-member and LIU Shark graduate forward Gisela Segura. 

The Illini lost 75.6% of their offensive production from last season, including their top four leading scorers, their best shot-maker, rebounder, assist-getter, and blocker from the 2024-25 season. 

Illinois' squad was not voted to finish top-five in the Big 10 Preseason Coaches' Poll after going 11-7 in conference play and earning the seventh-seed in the conference tournament last season.

What's Next:
Le Moyne will return to Ted Grant Court to host St. Bonaventure in their second home game of the season with tip slated for 1:00 p.m. next Saturday, Dec. 6.