Nov. 13, 2009
Box Score
Philadelphia, Pa. - Jolette Law's Fighting Illini opened the season with a heart-breaking 82-78 loss to Temple Friday night at McGonigle Hall in Philadelphia. Senior Jenna Smith led the Illini with 24 points and 10 rebounds, her 33rd career double-double, but it wasn't enough as the Owls came back from a 17-point halftime deficit for the victory.
Illinois led 74-58 after sophomore Fabiola Josil hit a three-pointer with 5:51 to play, but Temple turned up the heat on defense the rest of the way and closed the game on a 17-1 run to send the game into overtime. Illinois was in a position to win late, leading 75-72 with less than 30 seconds left when freshman Adrienne Godbold fouled Temple's Kristen McCarthy on a three-point attempt with 15.3 seconds to play. McCarthy knocked down all three shots to tie the score and Illinois struggled to get off a shot in the final seconds as freshman Amber Moore's 25-foot three was off the mark at the buzzer.
In overtime, Smith hit a bucket on Illinois' first possession to give the Illini a 77-76 lead, but they could only muster one free throw the rest of the way. Temple's LeKeisha Eaddy put the game away with a free throw with 17 second left, giving the Owls a four-point cushion.
A key point in the game came when senior Lacey Simpson fouled out with three minutes left in regulation and Illinois up nine. Simpson had 15 points, five rebounds, five steals and two blocks on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting, including a career-best 3-of-3 from downtown, before leaving the game for good. Freshman Karisma Penn also had a big game with 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks in her collegiate debut, but she also fouled out with 2:13 left in overtime.
Illinois looked very sharp early in the game, closing the first half on a 16-2 run to open up a 17-point halftime lead, 43-26. The Illini pushed the lead to as high as 18 early in the second half but had trouble taking care of the ball down the stretch. The Orange and Blue turned the ball over 28 times for the game, including eight during the final 5:51 of regulation when Temple made its run.
For the game Illinois shot 50 percent from the field (30-of-60) and hit 42 percent from behind the arc (7-of-17), but the ball-handling mistakes led to a 29-11 edge in points of turnovers for the Owls.
Tonight marked the debut of six Illini freshmen - Godbold, Penn, Moore, Destiny Williams, Kersten Magrum and Brianna Jones - as all played in the first half of the game. In fact, all 14 Illini players played in the first half when the team was clicking on all cylinders.
Smith hit 9-of-17 from the field for her 24 points, her 40th straight game in double-figures. Shaqwedia Wallace led Temple with a career-high 27 points.
The Fighting Illini now return home to open up their home schedule this Sunday, Nov. 15 against Siena at 4 p.m. CT. It marks the start of a three-game homestand for the Orange and Blue, who host Central Michigan on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. and Bradley on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed live at http://video.bigtennetwork.com.
