Jan. 23, 2003

Box Score

The Fighting Illini dropped their third straight Big Ten road game on Thursday night, this one an 82-74 loss to Ohio State in front of 3,468 fans at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The loss dropped Illinois to 11-5 overall, 3-3 in the Big Ten and 2-4 on the road. The Buckeyes meanwhile, improved to 14-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play.

The Illini led for most of the first half with their largest lead being 20-15 at the 10:46 mark, but the Buckeyes went a 14-1 spurt in the final 4:37 before the break to open up a 45-36 lead at the half and would never look back. OSU shot a sizzling 58.1% (18-31) in the first half, including 50% (5-10) from three-point land. Illini shot a respectable 48.3% (14-29) in the opening half and was also 50% (4-8) from behind the arc.

Ohio State was able to maintain a double-digit lead for most of the second half and led 74-61 with just 3:00 remaining in the game when the Illini finally made a run. A pair of three's by Angelina Williams, a Brittney Daugherty lay-up and a trey by Janelle Hughes got the Illini within five at 77-72 with :32 seconds left, but the Buckeyes would hit 5-6 free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory.

Williams and Aminata Yanni led the way for the Illini; each finished with 19 points. Yanni scorched the Buckeyes for 17 of her 19 points in the first half, while Williams netted 15 of her 19 in the second frame. Cindy Dallas and Karen Hagberg also reached double figures for Illinois with 11 points apiece. Guard Janelle Hughes provided a spark off the bench with a career-high tying eight points in just nine minutes played. Courtney Coleman led five Buckeyes in double figures with 18 points.

Ohio State won the battle of the boards 38-30, and was led by D'wan Shackleford with a game-high 10. Cindy Dallas finished just one board short of earning her 18th career double-double by pulling down nine rebounds to lead the Illini.

Illinois returns to the friendly confines of Assembly Hall for a pair of key conference games beginning this weekend. On Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m., the Illini will try to avenge an earlier loss to 10th-ranked Minnesota. Then, next Thursday, Jan. 30, the Orange and Blue will go to battle with 12th ranked Purdue at 7 p.m. So far this season Illinois is 7-0 at Assembly Hall.