March 9, 2003
Final Stats
By JIM PAUL
Associated Press Writer
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Brian Cook scored 22 points, six in a decisive 19-4
second-half run, and No. 14 Illinois beat Minnesota 84-60 Sunday, the Golden
Gophers' fourth straight loss.
The Illini (21-6, 11-5 Big Ten) won their 17th straight home game and beat
Minnesota (16-11, 8-8) for the 10th consecutive time.
Illinois led by nine points at halftime and was ahead 55-46 when sophomore
Luther Head hit a 3-pointer to start the big run that made it 74-50 with 4:29
left.
Rick Rickert and Jerry Holman each had 12 points for Minnesota.
Roger Powell scored eight straight points for the Illini during the run and
finished with 15, while Deron Williams had 11.
Cook, who entered the game averaging 20 points per game, finished as the
league's leading scorer.
Illinois will be the second seed in this week's Big Ten tournament and could
face the Gophers again Friday if Minnesota wins a first-round game against
Northwestern.
Illinois shot 52 percent, including 7-of-19 from 3-point range. The Gophers
shot 35 percent from the field.
Illinois built a six-point lead midway through the first half on the
strength of three consecutive 3-pointers, two by Powell and the other from
7-footer Nick Smith. They built it to 27-17 with 7:02 remaining on two free
throws by Powell.
The Illini went up by 40-29 with 46 seconds left in the half when Dee Brown
set up Head for a dunk and the halftime lead was 40-31.
Cook was among six Illini seniors honored before the game. Guards Sean
Harrington, Jerrance Howard and Nick Huge and forwards Blandon Ferguson and
Clayton Thomas also played their final game at the Assembly Hall.
