July 20, 2005

Den Helder, Netherlands - Illinois sophomore Danyel Crutcher (Orange, N.J.) scored 10 points on 5-6 shooting and grabbed three rebounds in the Big Ten All-Stars impressive 119-56 tour-opening victory over the Netherlands National Team Tuesday night in Den Helder, Netherlands. The win marked the second highest point total and margin of victory for the All-Stars in the 13-year history of the tour.

The Big Ten All-Stars did not appear to show any signs of jetlag as the Tour squad, which is coached by Penn State's Rene Portland, jumped out to a 62-24 advantage at halftime. For the game, the All-Stars shot 48-of-69 (.696) from the field, including 9-of-17 (.529) from beyond the arc and 14-of-15 (.933) from the free-throw line.

Joining Cruther in double figures were Iowa's Crystal Smith (17), Indiana's Cyndi Valentin (16), Michigan State's Victoria Lucas-Perry (13), Northwestern's Ifeoma Okonkwo (12), Michigan State's Katrina Grantham (11) and Wisconsin's Janese Banks (11).

The Big Ten All-Stars, who have now won 15 straight contests, remain on the court for the next two nights against the Netherlands, with Wednesday's game scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. local time tip in Den Helder. Thursday's match-up is scheduled for the same time, but will be played in Amsterdam.

Be sure to check fightingillini.com for Tour updates and for periodic diary entries from Crutcher about her experiences on the trip.