Dec. 21, 1999

Postgame Audio
Coach Grentz, A. Curtin, T. Catchings

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois will take a few days off for the holidays. With that in mind, the Illini wanted the proper send-off. Thanks to 28 points from Tauja Catchings and an additional 24 from Allison Curtin, the Illini breezed to an 88-69 victory over visiting Cal-State Northridge.

"That's about as good of a game as we've played this year," said Head Coach Theresa Grentz, whose club built a convincing 49-29 halftime edge.

Catchings scored a career-best 21 points in the first half on 7 of 8 shooting. As a team, the Illini had their second-best shooting half and game this year, hitting 60 percent (18 of 30) from the field in the first half and 51.8 percent from the floor for the game. Shavonna Hunter, who started her first non-exhibition game of her career, had a career-high 13 points. Susan Blauser had her first double double of the year and seventh of her Illini career with 13 points and 14 rebounds.

The game was plagued with turnovers, 64 to be exact, including 33 by Northridge. The win gave Illinois a 7-1 record at Assembly Hall this season and 29 wins in their last 32 games at home dating back to December 1997. Illinois, who moved up to 18th in the Associated Press poll, improved to 9-3 on the season, tying the most wins in school history before Christmas.

Allison Curtin, had her third-best scoring game of her career - 24 points on 10 of 13 shooting. She surpassed the 600-point mark in 43 games, the quickest any player has reached that plateau in school history. She has averaged over 18 points per game in her last 17 contests.

Illinois was 28 of 38 from the free-throw line and have out-scored opponents 75-34 in its last three games from the line and has won four games in a row.

The Illini had leads of 10-2 and 21-7 before Northridge was able to muster much offense. After Northridge closed to within 30-23 at the 4:25 mark, the Illini ended the half on a 19-6 run. Catchings scored 10 points in the run, including her first career three-pointer. Curtin had 35 of the Illini's 49 points in the first 20 minutes.

Although the game was never in doubt, Northridge did out-score the Illini 40-39 in the second half, not, however, until after the Illini built a 64-38 with 13:52 left in the game.

The Illini are next in action Tuesday, Dec. 28 at Colorado.