Nov. 7, 2005
Box Score
CHAMPAIGN, ILL. - The Fighting Illini came out hot in the exhibition opener Monday night at Assembly Hall and never let up en route to a 75-55 victory over the Ohio Girls Basketball Report (OGBR) Legends. Junior forward Audrey Tabon tallied 16 points and eight boards, while senior Janelle Hughes and freshman Lori Bjork each chipped in 11 points in the victory.
Illinois hit its first five shots from the field, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, to open up a 15-3 lead less than four minutes into the game and cruised to a 40-22 halftime advantage. Bjork paced the Illini at the break with nine points on 3-of-3 shooting, all three-pointers. Danyel Crutcher had six points and five boards at the break, while Maggie Acuna dished out seven assists in the first 20 minutes.
OGBR managed to take advantage of cold Illini shooting in the first six minutes of the second half as Illinois missed five straight shots as the Legends cut the margin to 46-36 with 13:51 remaining, but the was as close as the Legends would get. The Illini then responded with a run of their own, extending the lead to 62-41 at 6:33 behind eight points by Tabon. She caught fire after halftime, scoring 10 of her 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while grabbing six rebounds in the second half.
Illinois shot 32-of-68 (.471) from the field and outscored the Legends 46-26 in the paint. Acuna finished with 10 assists and four steals, and Crutcher had eight boards to go along with her six points. Freshmen Chelsea Gordon and Lacey Simpson put in eight and seven points, respectively.
Illinois did not have the services of two players, Erin Wigley and Megan Nyquist. Wigley, the leading returning scorer from a year ago, was rested because of a sore back. Nyquist is still not 100 percent after having knee surgery last season.
The Illini will return to Assembly Hall to host Lewis University on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. in the second and final exhibition of the season. Illinois opens the regular season on the road at Loyola on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.
