March 4, 2000

Box Score

Halftime Check Presentation Audio

Postgame Audio:
* Coach Kruger
* Illinois Players Griffin, Bradford, Brown, Williams
* Northwestern's Coach O'Neill

By JOHN KELLY
Associated Press Writer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Illinois tuned up for a Big Ten Conference Tournament rematch against border rival Indiana by stomping Northwestern 73-44 on Saturday, leaving the Wildcats winless in the league.

Cory Bradford scored 20 points to lead No. 25 Illinois (19-8 overall, 11-5 Big Ten), returning after six days off since losing 64-51 to sixth-ranked Ohio State.

The Illini get another rest before playing No. 14 Indiana on Friday in the league tournament in Chicago. Northwestern (5-24, 0-16) opens the tournament in Thursday's first round.

Watching a sloppy game dominated by errant 3-pointers and fumbled passes, the loudest the Assembly Hall fans got was during pregame Senior Day festivities and a halftime show featuring doggy hurdle races.

Northwestern didn't start quite as badly as when the teams met earlier this season, when the Wildcats didn't score in the game's first 15 minutes and had just six points in the first half on the way to a 63-30 loss at Evanston.

The Wildcats did struggle again, however, shooting 27 percent and turning the ball over 13 times in the first half.

Steve Lepore, the only Northwestern player who seemed able to find the basket, scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half. His 3-pointer with 10:50 left in the half got Northwestern to 19-14, the closest it would be in the game.

The Wildcats couldn't shoot, rebound or hold the ball after that. Illinois outscored Northwestern 18-4 from there, and could have made things a lot worse.

In the midst of Illinois' big run, freshman guard Frank Williams tried a couple behind-the-back passes and an alley-oop. All three were turnovers.

Illinois' attempts at style points finally netted some actual points with 13:55 to go in the game, when Bradford lobbed a floating pass that Griffin dunked to give the Illini their biggest lead to that point, 47-27.

Williams hit three 3-pointers in the second half, on his way to 16 points. Ben Johnson led Northwestern with 13 points.