Dec. 7, 1999

Box Score

Postgame Audio
? Coach Grentz, S. Blauser, K. Martin, T. Catchings
? Illinois Coach Yopp, S. Reichle, N. Peruch

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois women's basketball team was gone most of last week. Two-and-a-half days in Connecticut and two days in Texas. Needless to say, the Illini were glad to back in the friendly confines of Assembly Hall Tuesday. Illinois returned to its winning ways as well, pulling away from visiting Illinois State and cruising to an 80-58 victory Tuesday night.

Four Illinois players scored in double figures. Susan Blauser (19 points) did so for the 30th time in 40 Illinois games, including all six at home this season. Tauja Catchings played like her old self with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Allison Curtin's 16 points and four steals give her 13 double digit games in 15 Illini starts. The player that most wanted to know about, however, following the game was senior Kylie Martin.

Martin's minutes are up from 19 to 28 this year. Her production has her in the Top 20 in the Big Ten in scoring (11.3). She reached double figures for the fourth straight time with 10 points and a season-best six assists. "Kylie finally has been able to play her game," said teammate and good friend Susan Blauser afterward.

"I put everything out of my mind and focused on my senior year," Martin said of her surge.

Martin found Blauser for a lay-in at the 14:09 mark that put the Illini up for good at 9-8 and started a 12-0 run that culminated in a driving lay-up by freshman Shavonna Hunter. The Redbirds went over four minutes without scoring. The Illini led 36-24 at the half.

The lead fluctuated between 8 and 14 until a second-half run firmly put Illinois State away. A 21-13 outburst turned a 51-40 game into a 19-point (72-53) advantage for Illinois with just over three minutes to play. Six different players scored in the run, including Kristi Faulkner, who buried a three-pointer late in the contest.

"We were able to use a lot of different combinations tonight," noted Head Coach Theresa Grentz, whose club had eight players with at least 15 minutes of action.

Illinois moved ahead in the series, 13-12, but the Illini have won six of eight meetings in the 90s. The Illini are 6-0 when out-rebounding an opponent this season. The win also moved Illinois to 21-4 at home against non-conference opponents under Theresa Grentz.

The Illini host DePaul University Friday night at 7 p.m. then the U.S. National Team Sunday at 2 p.m.