Jan. 27, 2002

Box Score

Post-game comments (audio):
Theresa Grentz, Angelina Williams, Shavonna Hunter and Tiffanie Guthrie - LISTEN
Michigan Coach Sue Guevara and LeeAnn Bies - LISTEN

Champaign, Ill. - Illinois Head Coach Theresa Grentz called it a "great day of women's basketball." The largest crowd of the season - 8,967 -- saw an up-tempo, high-energy game. Most importantly the home standing Illini prevailed, 92-78 over the visiting Michigan Wolverines.

That combined with Wisconsin's loss at Penn State creates a logjam at the top of the Big Ten standings. The Illini have the upper hand with four home games down the stretch, including a rematch with now first place Purdue. After today's results, Purdue (7-2) leads Wisconsin (7-3), Illinois (6-3), Iowa (6-3) Penn State (5-3), and Minnesota (5-3) by just one game in the loss column.

Illinois (13-6) had won most of its games this year by pounding the ball into the middle with Iveta Marcauskaite and Cindy Dallas primarily scoring of late. Sunday the Illini added an outside dimension with 10 three-pointers made, which ties for second best in a single-game in school history. Illinois made seven treys before the break, which ties for the most in a half in school history.

The outside game made for a balanced Illinois attack with five players in double figures. Shavonna Hunter tied a season-high with 21 points followed by Dallas (16), freshmen Angelina Williams (15) and Tiffanie Guthrie (14), and senior Dawn Vana (11). Michigan, who was playing with just seven players, got 36 points from LeeAnn Bies and 22 points from Alayne Ingram. The Michigan starters played 191 of a possible 200 minutes.

Coach Grentz commented after the game about how much extra shooting on their own the team and in particular Guthrie and Williams had done this week. Hunter reiterated her role of mentoring the freshmen guards. Hunter led by example by making 5 of 6 three-pointers. Guthrie had a pair of treys and Williams and sophomore Aminata Yanni added one triple. Even Dawn Vana got into the act by making her second career three-pointer in the first half.

In fact Illinois started the game by making back-to-back three-pointers - Vana and Hunter doing the honors. Illinois broke open a tight game by taking a 31-21 lead with 7:41 to play in the first half. The shots kept coming and even though, Michigan cut the gap to three points at one point, a basket from Dallas and a steal and lay-in by Angelina Williams gave Illinois a 48-41 halftime lead, marking the most first-half points scored by Illinois this season.

Illinois shot 51.4 percent in the first half and Michigan 54.8. The Illini were just getting heated up, however. Illinois was 17 of 25 from the field in the second half (68 percent) and went on a 22-12 run to take a commanding 70-53 lead with 13:17 to play in the game. Michigan never seriously threatened from there.

Passing was again a key component for Illinois. The Illini posted a season-high 25 assists led by nine from Hunter and five from Vana.

Illinois plays two of the contenders at home in its next two games, hosting Minnesota on Thursday and Purdue on Feb. 7.