Nov. 27, 1999
Illinois Postgame Audio!
Coach Grentz, guards Shavonna Hunter and Allison Curtin and forward Kylie Martin
Notre Dame Postgame Audio!
Coach McGraw with Ruth Riley
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Allison Curtin is just a sophomore, but already she's
made a name as a big-time player. Last year in the Big Ten title game,
Curtin tallied 24 points as the Illini nearly upset No. 1 Purdue.
Already the Illini's leading scorer, the former Taylorville Tornado
exploded for a career-high 28 points as the 15th-ranked Illini knocked
off No. 6 Notre Dame, 77-67, before 5,312 fans at Assembly Hall.
Curtin did it all. Her basket just after halftime gave her 14
points for the game and 501 for her career, making her the quickest
Illinois player ever to 500 points. Curtin turned the feat in 37 games.
It took all-time leading scorer Ashley Berggren 39 contests to top the
half-century mark.
Curtin tormented Irish guards on defense, had four steals and
several near misses, and iced the game away from the free-throw line,
something many of the rest of her teammates have had trouble doing lately.
Curtin made 14 of 18 free-throws, including six straight in the final
3:59 to preserve the 10-point win. The rest of her teammates combined to
make just 7 of 19 from the charity stripe. Just for kicks, Curtin added
7 rebounds. She is second on the team in rebounding with a 7.3 rpg
average.
The win was just the second for Illinois (5-1) over a top-ten
ranked team in 48 attempts in school history. The only other time that
has happened was Jan. 13, 1982, when Illinois downed No. 3 Long Beach
State, 97-91 in 3OT. It also gives the Illini some momentum before
heading to No. 1 Connecticut and perennially strong Texas next week.
Senior Kylie Martin has stepped up her game this season as well,
denying the post, bringing the ball up the floor, driving around
defenders, and hitting the glass hard. Martin had a career day with 16
points and 7 rebounds, topping her 15-point, 7 rebound-performance in
the season opener against Western Michigan.
Martin was instrumental in Illinois building the early lead. The
senior had 10 points in the first 12 minutes of the game and 13 points
in the first half as Illinois built a 40-28 halftime lead. The veteran
Illini team then went to put the finishing touches on the biggest
regular season win in a long
time in the second half. Seniors Tauja Catchings (7 points, 9 rebounds)
and Susan Blauser (11 points, 5 boards) and freshman Shavonna Hunter
scored on successive trips down the floor to change a 50-37 lead to
57-37 with 12:54 to play in the game.
The Irish weren't done, yet, however. Baskets from Monique
Hernandez, Danielle Green, and Meaghan Leahy off the bench brought the
visitors to within 62-50. The margin stayed precariously within 8-10
points until the final minutes, before Curtin and the Illini were able
to seal things away on the stripe.
Ruth Riley was instrumental in keeping Notre Dame (1-1) close.
Riley scored a team-high 15 points before fouling out with 3:07 to play.
