Dec 16, 2001

Final Stats

Post-Game Comments:
Coach Bill Self - VIDEO | AUDIO
Brian Cook, Frank Williams and Cory Bradford - VIDEO | AUDIO

By JASON STRAIT
Associated Press Writer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - ILLINOIS has its share of long-range shooters in Cory Bradford, Frank Williams and even 6-foot-10 Brian Cook.

Add Luther Head to that list, at least for one game.

The freshman guard came off the bench to score 14 points and was 3-of-5 from 3-point range as No. 10 ILLINOIS shot 58 percent from behind the arc in a 98-62 victory over Western ILLINOIS on Sunday.

ILLINOIS was 11-for-19 on 3s, and most surprising was the shooting of Head. The athletic guard known more for his dunking than his shooting had made just one 3-pointer in 10 attempts entering the game.

"It was just such a hard matchup for us," Western ILLINOIS coach Jim Kerwin said. "Head, we didn't think could shoot the 3 and he busted three of five on us."

The Illini (8-2) used a 20-5 run early in the second half to pull away from the outsized Leathernecks (4-4).

The first half didn't go as smoothly for the Illini.

ILLINOIS held the Leathernecks scoreless over the first 9:14 of the game to take a 13-0 lead. But Western ILLINOIS slowly narrowed the gap, cutting the Illini's lead to six with 3:07 left in the half.

ILLINOIS led 39-29 at halftime despite shooting just 36 percent.

"We didn't play bad in the first half," ILLINOIS coach Bill Self said. "We probably played 15 good minutes in the first half. We just missed some good looks."

The Illini missed a lot of good looks. In fact, Illini made more 3-pointers (7) in the first half than they did 2-point field goals (4).

Led by the play of Williams, who had 17 points, ILLINOIS quickly turned it around in the second half, leading by 25 midway in the second half. During the Illini's 20-5 run, Bradford hit two 3-pointers and Cook scored six points.

ILLINOIS finished the game shooting 51 percent from the field.

"We've been having good second halves pretty much all season," said Williams, who added six assists and five rebounds. "We learn from the first half and try to make the second half our ball game."

Williams and Head hooked up in the second half on one of the more dazzling plays of the game, an alley-oop pass Williams threw from the top of the key that Head dunked.

The play was one of the few in the second half that brought a lethargic crowd to its feat. There were several empty seats at the top of the arena as some students have finished with finals and left campus for Christmas break.

Williams, the Illini's leading scorer at 17.4 per game, dominated the Leathernecks early in the second half despite playing with an upset stomach.

"He was in the bathroom before the game while we were warming up and he spent some time in there at halftime. But he's fine," Self said of Williams.

If Williams was sick, Kerwin couldn't tell.

"I thought he took over in the second half for them. I think he really picked it up a notch and I think they picked it up a notch as a team," he said.

Bradford finished with 13 points and Cook had 12 along with seven rebounds and five blocks. The Illini also committed just nine turnovers and forced the Leathernecks into committing 17.

Shawn Mason lead Western ILLINOIS with 19 points, while reserve Cory Fosdyck added 17 on 6-of-11 shooting.

Western ILLINOIS, whose tallest player is 6-foot-9, was outrebounded 44-31 and shot 39 percent for the game.

ILLINOIS is 3-0 all-time against the Leathernecks.