After an upset of conference-leading Iowa and a rout of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne last week, Northwestern revitalized its postseason hopes by moving two games above .500.

The Wildcats (12-10, 4-6 Big Ten) will try to extend their mini-win streak Wednesday when they head to Champaign, Ill., to take on the No. 14 Fighting Illini (20-4, 6-4).

“You always want to make the postseason,” NU coach Bill Carmody said. “That was a goal at the outset, and that remains a goal.”

NU last won three straight games in early January, when the Cats beat Northern Colorado and then opened their Big Ten schedule with back-to-back wins against Purdue and Minnesota.

The Illini have lost their last two games, including a 66-65 home loss to Penn State to snap their 33-game home winning streak.

“I think (the Illini) are certainly more vulnerable than they were a month ago or two weeks ago,” Carmody said.

This is the second meeting of the season between the Cats and the Illini. On Jan. 21, then-No. 7 Illinois fought off a late NU run to win 58-47.

NU senior forward Vedran Vukusic, the Big Ten’s leading scorer with 20.2 points per game, had his worst offensive performance of the season that day, hitting just one shot in 14 attempts for just five points.

“The key is to make shots,” Carmody said. “It sounds so simple, but you still have to put the ball in the basket. They defend very well, so it’s a tall order for us. We have to get good shots.”

– Scott Duncan