Feb 20, 2002

Final Stats?|? Photo Gallery

Illini Wrap - AUDIO
courtesy of WCIA-TV, Channel 3, Champaign

By JASON STRAIT
Associated Press Writer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - It was easy to figure out what Illinois was doing on offense. It was anything but easy for Penn State to stop it.

Robert Archibald tied his career-high with 25 points and had 10 rebounds in the 16th-ranked Illini's 83-56 victory over Penn State on Wednesday night.

The 6-foot-11 Archibald overpowered the Nittany Lions down low, backing his defender toward the basket and scoring all of his points from the field on an assortment of dunks and layups.

"That's the best he's finished around the basket. He looked like a man out there playing to be honest with you," Illinois coach Bill Self said.

Illinois (20-7, 8-5 Big Ten) has won five straight, a winning streak that started after it lost three in a row and five of eight.

Archibald did all his damage down low, where he was a career-best 11-of-12 from the field. He even finished on a breakaway, catching a pass in stride and dunking over a Penn State defender.

Penn State coach Jerry Dunn rotated defenders to try and stop the senior center, but none were effective as Archibald recorded his first double-double of the season. He also had three blocks.

"He is a very physical presence inside, and obviously very experienced. For the most part we didn't have any answers for him," Dunn said. "I thought we'd be able to play better interior defense."

Archibald, playing with a heavily taped wrist on his shooting hand, could have eclipsed his career best set last year had the game been closer. He had 21 points with 12:44 left in the game, but was pulled when things got out of hand.

His one miss was a wide-open layup that rimmed out - a shot Archibald wishes he had back.

"I kind of goosed it up there and was waiting for the guy to foul me," said Archibald, who missed a free throw that would have set a new career-high. "I asked (Self) if I could stay in a little longer and he said, 'You should have made your free throw."'

While the Illini worked the ball down low for easy baskets for Archibald and forward Brian Cook, they rarely allowed Penn State an open look.

Penn State (7-18, 3-11) has lost nine of 11 games and shot a season-low 28 percent. It was the lowest percentage Illinois has held an opponent to this season.

The Illini finished with a 43-30 rebound advantage.

"If you play good defense, even the open looks sometimes don't feel quite as open," Self said. "I just don't feel like offensively they ever got comfortable."

Frank Williams, the Big Ten's second-leading scorer at 16.7 points per game, finished with six points, five rebounds, four assists and six steals. Cook added 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting as 10 players scored for Illinois.

Illinois, averaging 19 3-point attempts, missed all three of its 3-point attempts in the first half and finished 3-of-13 from behind the arc.

"We only took three or four jumpers in the first half. We did a real good job of getting the ball to the post and (Archibald) made some tough shots," Self said.

Sharif Chambliss led Penn State with 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting, and Brandon Watkins had 11 points on 5-of-19 shooting.

None of the Penn State players talked with reporters after the game. Dunn had little positive to say about his team, but said Illinois appeared to have turned things around heading into the final stretch of the Big Ten season.

"They're playing as well as they played this time last year. The team still is capable of getting very far in the NCAA tournament," he said. "I think they're an awfully deep team with four seniors who've been through the wars."