Dec. 23, 2005
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GAME 11: Illinois (7-3, 0-0) hosts Michigan (6-6, 0-0)*
December 29, 2005 • 7 p.m. • Assembly Hall • Champaign, Ill.
On the Air
Radio:
Illini Radio Network - WDWS-AM 1400 - LIVE (Dave Loane, play-by-play; Steve Layman, analysis)
Internet:
Fightingillini.com streaming audio and video, plus Gametracker
The Series
Illinois leads 34-20 - Last season: ILL 65, UM 56 (2/27/05 in Champaign) and ILL 65, UM 63 (12/30/04 in Ann Arbor)
The Coaches
Illinois:
Theresa Grentz, 643-287 overall (32nd season), 182-132 at Illinois (11th season)
Michigan:
Cheryl Burnett, 346-182 overall (18th season), 25-46 at Michigan (3rd season)
ILLINOIS (7-3)
Probable Starters
Pos. No. Name Ht. Yr. PPG RPG APG Notes
G 21 Maggie Acuna 5-6 Sr. 4.4 5.2 4.7 Ranks in the top 8 in the Big Ten in 5 categories
G 1 Janelle Hughes 5-8 Sr. 13.8 3.3 2.5 Averaging 19.5 points over last four games
G 20 Lori Bjork 5-11 Fr. 10.8 3.2 1.3 Leads all Big Ten freshmen in scoring and 3FGM
F 34 Erin Wigley 6-1 Jr. 10.4 4.6 1.6 Career-high 22 points vs. ISU
F/C 15 Audrey Tabon 6-2 Jr. 8.3 6.2 0.4 Consecutive double-doubles vs. Bradley, Florida
Off the Bench
C 00 Erin McCarthy 6-5 Fr. 4.2 2.2 0.8 Poured in season-high 12 points vs. St. Louis
G 14 Megan Nyquist 5-10 r-Fr. 2.0 1.0 2.0 Made UI debut vs. St. Louis after knee injury
F 32 Danyel Crutcher 6-2 So. 5.9 4.7 0.3 Big Ten POW 12/19 after CH 24 vs. Oklahoma
F 33 Chelsea Gordon 6-0 Fr. 2.9 0.9 0.3 Frosh has been one of top subs off the bench
G 35 Danielle Gratton 6-0 Fr. 4.8 2.2 1.3 Scored 9 pts. in just 13 minutes vs. Bradley
F 44 Brittney Daugherty 6-2 Sr. 1.4 2.1 0.1 Started half of UI's games in 04-05
F 50 Stephanie Chelleen 6-3 So. 2.5 1.3 0.0 Can provide offensive spark off bench
Out for Today's Game
F 11 Victoria Arndt 6-2 Fr. - - - Redshirting 2005-06 season
F 22 Lacey Simpson 5-11 Fr. 2.0 2.5 1.0 Out indefinitely due to illness
Quick Hits
• For Openers: The Illini open Big Ten play and close-out a three-game homestand when the Michigan Wolverines come to town on Thursday evening. Illinois (7-3) has won two in a row and five of its last six after an 85-74 victory over Illinois State last Thursday.
• Home Cookin': Illinois is 3-0 this year at Assembly Hall and is riding a six-game home winning streak dating back to last season. All-time, Illinois is 212-113 (.652) at home and 173-91 (.655) at Assembly Hall.
• Illini Trends: This year the Fighting Illini are...
...6-0 when leading at halftime
...5-0 when scoring 70 or more points
...5-0 when wearing white uniforms
...4-0 when shooting 45% or better
...6-1 when shooting better than their opponent
...4-1 in December
• Big Ten Openers: Illinois is 12-11 in Big Ten home openers, having won seven of the last nine, but is just 8-15 in overall conference openers. Last season, UI opened Big Ten play with a road win at Michigan, but dropped its home opener to Iowa.
• Countdown to 650: With 643 career victories, Hall of Fame coach Theresa Grentz is just seven away from becoming the eighth D-I women's basketball coach to reach the 650 win plateau. Georgia's Andy Landers (641 as of 12/22) and Stanford's Tara Vandeveer (640) are right on Grentz's heels nearing the 650 mark.
• Three-headed Monster: In the last three games, Illinois' inside trio of Erin Wigley, Audrey Tabon and Danyel Crutcher has combined to score 110 of the Illini's 235 points (46.8 percent) and has grabbed 61 rebounds while shooting 44-90 (.489) from the field.
• Getting to the line: After averaging only 13.8 FT attempts over the first eight games, the Illini have gotten to the line 61 times during the last two (34 vs. OU, 27 vs. ISU). They have hit 46 of those attempts (.754).
• Crutcher named Big Ten POW: Sophomore forward Danyel Crutcher was named Big Ten Player of the Week (Dec. 12-18) after her 24-point, 11-rebound performance in the upset of No. 15 Oklahoma.
• Ranked Opponent Win Streak Extended: With the victory over the Sooners, the Illini have now beaten at least one ranked team in 12 straight seasons. UI has beaten 26 ranked foes during the streak. No. 15 OU was the highest ranked team knocked off by the Illini since No. 10 Minnesota, 94-80, on Jan. 26, 2003.
• Big Ten Highs: According to the most recent Big Ten stat rankings (12/19), Illinois' 59 rebounds vs. St. Louis and 20 steals vs. Loyola rank as the top totals in the conference this year.
Scouting the Wolverines
Michigan wrapped its non-conference schedule at 6-6 following a 68-60 win over St. Bonaventure last week. The Wolverines shot .622 from the field, and sophomore forward Ta'Shia Walker had 32 points and 9 rebounds in the win over the Bonnies, earning Big Ten Player of the Week honors for the performance. Walker team best averages of 14.5 ppg and 7.2 rpg. Junior forward Kelly Helvey has posted three double-doubles on the year, including a 30-point, 11-reb. performance vs. Maryland Eastern Shore. The Wolverines were 5-23 overall last season and were just 1-15 in the Big Ten.
• UM Coaches have UI ties: Michigan Coach Cheryl Burnett is in her third season at the helm of the Wolverines. She was a member of the Illinois staff as a both a graduate assistant and an assistant coach for three seasons (1982-84). Assistant coach Lynnette Robinson played for the Illini from 1978-82 and still appears on several UI career lists.
• The ILL-MICH Series: Illinois leads the all-time series 34-20 after sweeping both games last season. UI won a 65-63 decision in Ann Arbor on Dec. 30, 2004 thanks to an Angelina Williams jumper with 2.5 second left, and then closed out the regular season with a 65-56 victory over UM at Assembly Hall. Illinois is 16-8 vs. Michigan in Champaign, and have won the last three in a row at Assembly Hall. Grentz is 11-9 all-time vs. Michigan, all while at Illinois.
Erin Wigging Out
After averaging 6.6 points in Illinois' first six games, forward Erin Wigley has begun to live up to expectations as Illinois' leading returning scorer from last season. The junior poured in a career-high 22 points and grabbed eight boards in just 25 minutes vs. Illinois State and is averaging 16 points in the last four games and 10.4 for the season. Over that four-game stretch, Wigley has shot .545 from the field (24-44), .500 from three-point land (3-6) and .813 from the free throw line (13-16).
Sweet J
Senior guard Janelle Hughes, know as "J" by her teammates, has been tearing it up as of late. Over the last four games, Hughes is averaging 19.5 points per game and shooting .500 (28-56) from the field and .429 from three-point land (9-21). Hughes had a monster night in Illinois' 80-64 win over Bradley, hitting a career-best 4 of 6 from downtown en route to a career-high 22 points. In the upset win over Oklahoma, Hughes scored 11 consecutive points in a span of 2:39 to turn a 64-59 deficit into a 70-64 lead. The Illini took their first lead during the run and would not relinquish it.
Illini Leaning on Crutch
Danyel Crutcher's breakout 24 point, 11 rebound performance vs. Oklahoma wasn't shocking considering she was a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection a year ago. However, it was improbable given that she entered the game with just 23 points on the season and was averaging just 9.0 minutes per game. The sophomore hit 10-15 shots to shatter her previous career-high of 13 points, set last season, and hit the glass hard against Courtney Paris, one of the top centers in the nation, to earn her third career double-double. She was named Big Ten Player of the Week (Dec. 19) following the performance and then followed that up with another double-double (12 pts., 10 rebs.) vs. Illinois State.
Tabon Doubles Her Fun
Junior center Audrey Tabon posted back-to-back double-doubles - the first two of her career - against Bradley and Florida. She had a career-high 15 points to go along with 11 rebounds vs. Bradley for her first career double-dip, then came back with 13 points and a career-best 15 boards at Florida. Tabon scored double figures in three straight games vs. St. Louis, Bradley and Florida, hitting 14-23 shots (.609) to average 12.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in 24 minutes per during the stretch.
All-Around Acuna
Senior Maggie Acuna leads the team in assists (4.7), steals (2.8) and minutes played (32.3) while making sure things run smoothly for the Illini at the point. Against Oklahoma, she dished out a career-best eight assists and ranks in the top eight in the Big Ten in five different categories (according to 12/22 stats). The Oak Brook, Ill., native has also given the Illini a lift in the scoring department when needed. A career 1.0 point per game scorer, Acuna hit for a career-high 11 points in the opener and is currently averaging 4.4 points. She has hit all three of her three-point attempts this season.
In addition to running the show, the 5-6 guard somehow manages to average 5.2 rebounds per game, which ranks second on the Illini and is 19th in the Big Ten. She's especially tenacious on the defensive glass, averaging 4.8 per game, which ranks eighth in the league. She has led the team in rebounding three times this season.
Slumping Bjork Finds a Way
After a fast start to her college career, freshman Lori Bjork has hit a shooting slump (11-44 overall and 5-26 from three-point land in December). However, she has still managed to find a way to help Illinois to a 4-1 record over that span. She has averaged 8.6 points in those five games, thanks in part to 16-20 free throw shooting, and has averaged 27.6 minutes - third most on the team - during December.
The Johnston, Iowa, native led the Illini in scoring in four of the first five games and is currently second on the team with a 10.8 average. She hit for a career-high 20 points vs. NIU, including a UI season-best four three-pointers. She was named to the Coors Classic All-Tournament Team after leading the Illini in scoring for both tournament games, averaging 14.0 points and shooting .583 from the field. Bjork currently leads all Big Ten freshmen in scoring average and three-point field goals per game (1.6).
Trey Turnaround
After ranking at the bottom of the Big Ten last season in both 3FG percentage (.278) and 3FG made (2.9), Illinois has turned around its downtown shooting woes this season. The Illini rank second in 3FG percentage (.354) and fourth in threes made (5.1) thanks in large part to gunners Janelle Hughes (17 made threes) and Lori Bjork (16 made threes).
Frosh Start
Illinois' highly touted freshman class is off to a fast start so far this season. All five active freshmen played and scored in the opener and haven't let up since. Lori Bjork has started all 10 games and is second on the team in scoring (10.8) and minutes played (29.2). Chelsea Gordon, Erin McCarthy and Danielle Gratton each average over 11 minutes per game and, combined, account for nearly 12 points per game. Freshman Victoria Arndt has decided to redshirt the 2005-06 season, while Lacey Simpson played in four games early on but is now out indefinitely due to illness.
Big Ten Teleconference
Coach Grentz will participate in the weekly Big Ten coaches teleconference every Tuesday morning beginning Dec. 27. Grentz will be available to take questions for eight minutes beginning at 9:32 a.m. (CT) each Tuesday. Media wishing to participate should call the Big Ten office for details (847-696-1010). Archived audio of each teleconference is available online at www.bigten.org.
