Nov. 17, 1999
Postgame Audio:
? Coach Grentz, Guard Curtin and Forward Blauser
? Okla. St. Coach Halterman
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - For the second time in three nights, Illinois backed up its No. 12 ranking in battling visiting Oklahoma State in the second round of the Pre-season WNIT. The Illini used a late first half surge to build a 42-30 halftime lead, then hold on to edge the Cowgirls, 77-62.
Monday, pre-season Player of the Year candidate Tauja Catchings lit it up for 32 points. Wednesday, the other Pre-season Naismith candidate Susan Blauser took control with a game-high 25 points, 14 in the second half. Sophomore sensation Allison Curtin added 18 points, 14 coming in the first half.
Illinois will host the WNIT Final Four Sunday and Monday at the Assembly Hall. The Illini meet the winner of tonight?s Texas Christian-No. 15 Cal.-Santa Barbara at 1 p.m. No. 3 Georgia, a 65-60 winner over Virginia Tech, meets No. 20 Boston College, a 77-70 winner over Duke, in the second semifinal on Sunday at 3 p.m. The consolation and championship are Monday in Champaign at 6 and 8 p.m., respectively.
?I am so proud of this group,? Illinois coach Theresa Grentz said afterward. ?To what do what they have done in the last 72 hours is remarkable.?
Oklahoma State used the efforts of forward Tari Cummings to hang close in the early goings. Although OSU led 7-4 in the early goings, the Illini took the lead for good at 11-9. The Illini methodically built the lead to 36-25 at the 3:08 mark on a 15-footer by Melissa Parker.
Although Oklahoma State hung around, the Illini put the game away with a 10-4 run to go ahead 67-50. Cummings led the Cowgirls with 17 points.
For Illinois, freshman Shavonna Hunter had 9 points for the second game in a row. Curtin added a career-high six steals. The Illinois defense held Oklahoma State to .339 shooting from the field, .313 in the second half.
Illinois used its perimeter defense and transition game to its advantage, stealing the ball 15 times, a career-high six by the speedy Curtin. ?That?s why we run those sprints in July,? noted Grentz afterward on her team?s staminia and quickness.
As always the first few minutes of the second half is critical. Curtin hit an open jumper, then Blauser tallied a short range deuce to extend the 12-point halftime lead to 16.
Kylie Martin (6 points, 6 rebounds) had her second straight solid game, coming away with some aggressive rebounds, then outletting the ball up the floor to start the break.
Illinois starts the season 2-0 for the second straight season, only the third time that has happened in school history.
