Jan. 30, 2003
Final Stats
For the second time this week, Illinois welcomed a Top Ten team to the Assembly Hall. Fresh off a 94-80 win over then No. 10 Minnesota, the Illini hosted the ninth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers in front of a noisy crowd of 2,746.
The two teams battled down to the final minute, but in the end, Purdue ended Illinois' eight-game home court winning streak with an 82-78 victory.
Cindy Dallas posted her sixth double double of the season and 19th of her career with 16 points and 11 rebounds, pacing five Illinois players in double figures. Three of the other four were wing players Angelina Williams (15 points), Aminata Yanni (15), and Tiffanie Guthrie (13). Senior Karen Hagberg added 11 points as well. Williams also added a career-best eight assists. Brittney Daugherty played a career-best 26 minutes and was instrumental defensively.
According to Illinois Head Coach Theresa Grentz, poise was the difference in the outcome. The Illini led for the first 12 minutes of the second half, until Purdue took its first lead at 61-60 off a steal and basket from Erika Valek. The Boilers led by as many as six, but back came the Illini. Hagberg scored five straight points to cut the margin to one at 74-73, but Illinois never could tie or take the lead down the stretch.
With the score 80-78 Purdue and 26 seconds left, Valek came through with a key steal and sank the two subsequent free throws to seal the win.
"We didn't give up," said Aminata Yanni. "We fought to the last second and never backed down."
That resiliency was especially apparent in the first half as Purdue burst to a 10-0 lead. The athletic Illini used the fast break and some long-range jumpers to quickly get back into it, tying the score at 17-17 with 10:48 remaining in the half.
Guthrie had 10 of her 13 points in the first half. Her steal led directly to a lay-up from Williams to cap an 11-2 run and give Illinois its first lead of the game. Illinois trailed just twice in the next 18 minutes. Freshman Jessica Wright came of the bench and canned two three-pointers, the latter broke a 36-36 tie. Illinois led 41-36 at the half.
The Illini extended their lead to seven points twice in the second half as Williams and Yanni scored the first seven Illinois points of the second stanza. Yanni' three-pointer made it 51-46 Illinois, but Purdue's Beth Jones (17 points) hit a three to cut the margin back to two. The game was tight from there with Illinois maintaining the lead until the eight-minute mark.
Valek led Purdue (17-3, 5-2 in the Big Ten) with 20 points followed by Jones (17), Mary Jo Noon (15) and Shereka Wright (13). Illinois (12-6, 4-4) travels to Iowa on Sunday.
