Dec. 14, 2003

Final Stats

Champaign, Ill. - Illini Head Coach Theresa Grentz was looking for her squad to come out of the gates and make a statement early in a game. They did that and then some on Sunday afternoon in front of 1,646 at the Assembly Hall in an 84-41 convincing win over Pepperdine. Illinois won for the third game in a row and reached the .500 mark at 4-4 for the season.

Illinois' defense has been stifling most of the year and it was again on Sunday, as the Illini built a 27-9 lead 12 minutes into the game and to a 36-18 advantage into the halftime break. For the game the Waves shot just 25.7 percent from the field (18 of 70). That has become a growing trend for Illinois, whose last three opponents are converting at a mere 26.7 percent clip from the field. For the season opponents are shooting 36.9 percent and scoring just 60.8 points per game. Taking out the game against DePaul, and that mark is at only 32.5 percent and 56 points per game for opponents against Illinois this season.

The defense only begins to tell the story of Illinois' domination on Sunday against a Pepperdine team that played #6 Stanford to an eight-point game and whose only two other losses were to #14 Oklahoma and #1 UConn. Tiffanie Guthrie nearly recorded a triple double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists all while playing four positions. Guthrie had a tremendous week, recording back-to-back double-doubles and averaging 18.5 points, 11 rebounds and six assists per game in two Illini wins.

Angelina Williams showed her versatility by playing the point for part of the afternoon then going inside and converting 14 points. Cindy Dallas simply owned the glass. Dallas had 13 rebounds with over 10 minutes to play and finished with 14 boards on the afternoon

The very active Illini forced 22 turnovers for the game, pressuring the Waves out of the game. Illinois edged Pepperdine on the boards 44-to-42. Pepperdine struggled from three-point range, going 1 for 20 for the game. The Illini's wing players forced the Wave players out and got in the passing lanes all afternoon, disrupting the offense.

As the second half progressed the lIlini found their shooting touch extending a 46-26 lead with 15:29 to play to 63-34 with 7:43 to play to 82-38 with 1:10 left. Illinois shot 58 percent from the field in the second half, and Aminata Yanni made 2-of-3 three pointers. Yanni finished with 15 points, while sophomore Janelle Hughes came off the bench to have her best game of the season, totaling 12 points, 2-for-2 from three points range, a pair of assists and a pair of steals.

The Illini will enjoy a week off before they return to the Assembly Hall next Sunday against Alabama State at 2 p.m. Kids who bring back their finished coloring book will be admitted free, and the first 500 fans into the door receive the third in a set of collector's ornaments.