Jan 7, 2003

Box Score

By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS - With three freshmen in its starting lineup, Illinois will be prone to some erratic play as it begins its quest for a third straight Big Ten title.

That's where seniors Brian Cook and Sean Harrington come in.

Harrington scored 22 points - including six 3-pointers - and Cook had 25 points and 11 rebounds for the 10th-ranked Fighting Illini in a 76-70 victory over Minnesota on Tuesday night in the conference opener.

"Brian and myself have definitely been through the wars in the Big Ten," Harrington said. "We're ready to accept a leadership role."

Illinois' only other game in an opponent's gym this season was a 77-74 loss to Memphis on Dec. 28, and its inexperienced lineup looked rattled at times. Freshmen starters Dee Brown and Deron Williams were ineffective for the Illini (11-1) in front of a boisterous crowd of 13,548 at Williams Arena.

"I wouldn't have thought we could've snuck out of here with a victory with those guys combining for five points and five turnovers," coach Bill Self said. "I thought our whole team played anxiously."

Michael Bauer had 17 points and Rick Rickert added 12 on 5-for-19 shooting for the Golden Gophers (8-4). Minnesota was held to 31 percent shooting (18-for-59) by the Big Ten's best defensive team and lost its ninth straight to Illinois.

"They're good defenders," Bauer said. "They didn't leave us a lot of time to sink the shots. And we just didn't shoot well."

Harrington did.

The conference's leading 3-point shooter and zone-defense killer made three shots from beyond the arc in a 61-second span to put the Illini up 51-46 with 11:16 to go.

Harrington's biggest 3, though, came with 2:23 left. It gave Illinois a 70-67 lead after Moe Hargrow's free throws had tied it seconds earlier. The Gophers didn't get closer.

"Man, Sean just lit it up tonight," guard Luther Head said. "They had a nice crowd here. We had to play through that."

Trailing 72-68, Burleson missed a 3-pointer with 46 seconds left that Cook grabbed for the rebound and made two foul shots on the other end to put the Illini up by six.

Illinois gave Minnesota a chance by missing five of 10 free throws over the last 90 seconds, but the Gophers couldn't make anything.

"It's very frustrating," Rickert said. "It's one we definitely should've had."

Minnesota, second in the Big Ten in scoring behind Illinois at more than 80 points per game, went 1-for-13 from 3-point range in the first half and finished 5-for-26.

"I have to give Illinois credit for the defensive effort," Minnesota coach Dan Monson said. "But we have to be able to make shots from the perimeter if we want to win close games."

Illinois essentially kept Minnesota out of the NCAA tournament last year with three wins over the Gophers, including a wild 67-66 comeback victory in Minneapolis and a blowout five days later in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.

With three freshmen in the starting lineup, these Illini are far different than the conference champions of the last two seasons.

Cook - the co-Big Ten preseason player of the year with Rickert - is still there, though. The conference's leading scorer had to work for every point, going 9-for-10 from the foul line in the first half.

He and 7-foot-2 sophomore Nick Smith clearly had the Minnesota frontcourt's attention. Jerry Holman and Jeff Hagen both fouled out midway through the second half, and Rickert picked up his fifth with 25 seconds left.

"This is the first game our big guys were aggressive enough to foul out," said Monson, who is 0-8 against the Illini. "I liked their demeanor. I liked their toughness. Unfortunately, we didn't get it done."