Nov. 25, 2006
Complete Results
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Lori Bjork scored 21 points to help lift a short-handed Fighting Illini squad to a hard-fought 69-56 victory over Saint Joseph's University Saturday afternoon at Assembly Hall. The game was much closer than the score would indicate as Illinois needed a late 16-0 run to pull away and improve to 5-1 on the season.
Already playing without three players due to injury (Audrey Tabon, Danielle Gratton and Megan Nyquist), the Illini were also without guard Rebecca Harris on Saturday due to a death in the family, leaving just eight healthy players available to head coach Theresa Grentz. But Bjork was determined not to let the Illini fall, logging all 40 minutes at the point for the first time in her career and hitting 7-of-14 shots to lead all scorers with a season-high 21 points.
The Illini led 31-28 after a see-saw first half that saw eight lead changes and nine ties. In fact, only once during the first 20 minutes did either team build a lead of more than three points, and that was a 13-8 Illinois advantage that lasted less than a minute. Bjork and freshman Jenna Smith each had 10 points at the break to lead the Orange and Blue.
The second half was much of the same as there were nine more lead changes and six more ties. Saint Joseph's (1-3) took 53-51 lead with just under six minutes remaining, but that is when Bjork and the Illini took over with their game-clinching 16-0 run. Bjork had nine of the 16 points and, fittingly, got the run started with a three-pointer to give the Orange and Blue the lead for good. The Illini knocked down 5-of-6 free throws in the final seconds to seal the game and finished 15-of-18 (.833) from the charity stripe.
Smith finished with 12 points and nine rebounds to nearly notch her first career double-double. Danyel Crutcher was also in double figures with 12 points and six rebounds. As a team, Illinois hit 54 percent of its shots in the second half and shot 47 percent for the game to win its fifth straight game at Assembly Hall.
The Illini hit the road for a pair of games next week. They head to Saint Louis University on Wednesday, Nov. 29 for a 7 p.m. tip and then travel down south to face Ole Miss next Saturday, Dec. 2. Illinois returns to Assembly Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 5, to host the Florida Gators.
