WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Illinois women's basketball team fell to 12-6 overall, 5-3 in the Big Ten with an 86-77 loss at Purdue. The Illini came out fighting, keeping the game close for the majority of the first half, but the Boilermakers went on a 13-5 run to close out the first period with a 43-32 advantage. Illinois outscored Purdue, 45-43, in the second half, but it was not enough as the Boilermakers emerged victorious, 86-77.

Sophomores Iveta Marcauskaite and Cindy Dallas led the Illinois offense with 19 points each. Marcauskaite continued to shoot well. The Big Ten leader in shooting percentage hit on 9 of her 15 attempts from the floor. The 19 points tied a career-high for Dallas, who made 8-15 from the floor and 3-4 from the charity stripe. Shavonna Hunter also added 17 and Angelina Williams scored 11 for the Illini who got the outside game going tonight hitting on five three pointers.

Marcauskaite also played well on the defensive side of the ball, tying her career high with four blocks. She moved into ninth on Illinois' career blocks list with 52 rejections in her two seasons with the Illini. Dawn Vana grabbed a team-high eight rebounds while Dallas and Tiffanie Guthrie each grabbed six boards for the Illini.

Foul trouble plagued the Illini throughout the contest. Marcauskaite committed four fouls which limited her to 26 minutes of action in the contest, nearly 10 minutes off her average. Not only did the fouls hurt individually, but they put the Boilermakers on the line for 28 free-throw attempts. Illinois only had 13 tries from the charity stripe. Illinois was outscored 22-8 from the line.

After three straight road contests, Illinois returns home for three straight games. The Illini, who are undefeated at Assembly Hall this season, host Michigan on Sunday, Minnesota on Jan. 31 and have a rematch with Purdue on Feb. 7.