Nov. 12, 2010
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois opened its 2010-11 season just like the last one ended, with a loss to Illinois State. Last year, the Illini dropped a 53-51 heartbreaker to the Redbirds on the road in the WNIT quarterfinals. This year, it was a 69-62 defeat at Assembly Hall. Redshirt freshman Amber Moore had a huge first half, hitting five threes, and sophomore Karisma Penn had the second double-double of her career, but it wasn't enough as the Illini dropped just their second season-opener at home in 16 tries.
The Orange and Blue trailed by three at the break, 32-29, and would get no closer than that the entire second half as ISU maintained a lead of 5-10 points throughout. Their largest lead was 11, 52-41, at the 10:33 mark, and then again with 6:17 remaining (57-46). Illinois got within five in the closing seconds, but it was too little too late, as the hosts could never put together an extended run to take control of the game.
Penn had zero points, four rebounds and one block in only 10 first-half minutes due to foul trouble. However, the Shaker Heights, Pa., native came roaring back in the second half to finish with 18 points and tied her career high in both rebounds with 11 and blocks with five.
Moore, playing in her first game since tearing an ACL in last year's season-opner, kept Illinois (0-1) in the game early, and throughout the first half, as ISU (1-0) focused on shutting down the Illini inside game with a packed-in zone. The Detroit, Mich., native hit three threes in the first 3:34 of the game and made five from downtown overall, all in the first half. She missed her last eight shots of the game, however, finishing with 15 points. The only other Illini in double figures was junior Lydia McCully, who tallied 11 points, six rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes.
Illinois led 11-10 five minutes into the game, but the Redbirds went on an 11-0 run over the next 6:36 to take a 21-11 lead and would not relinquish it the rest of the way. The Orange and Blue crept back to within one right before that half after a fast break layup by McCully made the score 30-29, but had to settle for a three-point deficit at the break.
The Illini turned the ball over only three times in the second half after coughing it up 14 times in the first 20 minutes. ISU controlled the boards with a 41-35 advantage, and held a huge edge in free throws, hitting 20-of-30 (67 percent) from the charity stripe compared to just 6-of-12 (50 percent) for the Orange and Blue.
Illinois played without sophomore Kersten Magrum, who is out until mid-December after having foot surgery this week, and sophomore Adrienne GodBold, who is in the middle of a six-game suspension for violating team rules.
The Fighting Illini will now hit the road for a pair of non-conference games next week. First, they'll travel to Columbia, S.C., to face the University of South Carolina on Monday night at 7 p.m. ET/6 CT and then will travel west down I-74 to Peoria to face Bradley next Friday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m.
