March 14, 2006
WNIT Round 1 Illinois-WIU Game Notes (PDF)
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WNIT Preliminary Round
Illinois (15-14) vs. Western Illinois (23-6)
March 15, 2006 • 7 p.m.
Assembly Hall, Champaign, Ill.
On the Air
Radio: Illini Sports Network - WDWS-AM 1400 - LIVE (Dave Loane and Mike Koon)
Internet: Fightingillini.com live streaming video and audio
Ticket Info
Tickets are on sale now at the Illinois Athletic Ticket office and are also available by phone (217-333-3470) and on fightingillini.com. Cost is $5 for adults and $4 for students and children.
The Series
Illinois leads 7-2
Last meeting: Illinois 88, Western Illinois 67 (11/30/83 @ Champaign, Ill.)
Streak: Illinois has won four in a row overall and has won all five meetings in Champaign
Head Coaches
Illinois: Theresa Grentz, 651-298 overall (32nd season), 190-143 at Illinois (11th season)
WIU: Leslie Crane, 140-87 overall and at WIU (8th season)
For Openers
Illinois (15-14) heads to the postseason for the ninth time in the last 10 years with its second straight postseason WNIT bid. The Illini host Western Illinois (23-6) on Wednesday, March 15, at Assembly Hall in one of eight preliminary round games. Illinois finished tied for seventh place in the Big Ten with a 6-10 record and was ousted from the Big Ten Tournament in the quarterfinals, falling to No. 14 and second-seeded Purdue, 68-57.
Down the Road...
The winner of the Illinois-Western Illinois preliminary round game will advance to the round of 32 to face Marquette in Milwaukee, Wis., on Friday, March 17.
Illinois in the WNIT
Illinois is 2-3 overall in three previous postseason WNIT appearances. In '01, the Illini beat Wisconsin-Green Bay in the first round, 96-79, before falling to Mississippi State in the second, 86-77. In 2002, the Illini followed the same pattern, beating Western Kentucky in the opening round, 91-84, and then dropping 70-57 decision to Michigan State in the second round. Last season, the Illini dropped a first round road game to Indiana State, 72-60.
2001 at Assembly Hall, Champaign, Ill.
Round 1 - Illinois 96, Wisconsin-Green Bay 79
Round 2 - Mississippi State 86, Illinois 77
2002 at Assembly Hall, Champaign, Ill.
Round 1 - Illinois 91, Western Kentucky 84
Round 2 - Michigan State 70, Illinois 57
2005 at Hulman Center, Terre Haute, Ind.
Round 1 - Indiana State 72, Illinois 60
WNIT Expands to 40
This year the WNIT added eight teams to bring the field to 40 for the first time. The Illinois-WIU game is one of eight preliminary round games that will feed into the round of 32. The eight additional slots were added to reward teams that won their regular season conference title but did not win the conference tournament or get an NCAA at-large bid. Western Illinois is one of the teams that fits those criteria this year.
Scouting the Westerwinds
• Western Illinois has won a school-record 23 games this season and was the Mid-Continent Conference regular season champion with a 13-3 record. The Westerwinds fell to Oakland, 65-56, in the title game of the MCC Tournament to miss out on the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
• WIU is making its second postseason WNIT appearance. The Westerwinds are 0-1 in the tournament, losing to Missouri, 72-69, in double overtime in 2003.
• WIU is centered around 6-7 senior Zane Teilane, the 2006 Mid-Continent Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Teilane leads the Mid-Con in scoring (16.6) and rebounding (10.7) and ranks third in the NCAA in blocks (4.2). She is also WIU's all-time leader in scoring, rebounding and blocks. Senior forward Samantha Greer also scores in double figures (10.3), while senior guard Rachel Reed is dangerous from downtown (55-125, .440).
• Western is tough defensively, ranking third in the NCAA in scoring defense (51.8) and sixth in FG percentage defense (.350). It also leads the Mid-Con in scoring margin (+9.8), FT percentage (.720), FG percentage (.441) and rebounding margin (+3.9).
• Head coach Leslie Crane is in her eighth season at WIU. This will be her first meeting with Illinois.
The Illinois-WIU Series
Illinois leads the all-time series 7-2 and has won the last four in a row, but the two teams have not met in over 22 years. The Illini have won all five meetings in Champaign, the most recent an 88-67 victory on Nov. 30, 1983. Theresa Grentz has never faced WIU.
Common Ties
Illinois and WIU have five common opponents this season - Northern Illinois, Bradley, St. Louis, Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Illini went 4-2 against those teams, beating NIU (57-43), Bradley (80-64), SLU (75-40) and Wisconsin (84-54), and falling to Ohio State (75-49) and in a second meeting vs. Wisconsin (66-61). The Westerwinds went 4-1 vs. the same five schools, also topping NIU (50-34), Bradley (57-54), SLU (57-44) and Wisconsin (70-61), and falling to Ohio State (75-36).
Last Time Out
For the second straight year, Illinois played a nationally-ranked No. 2 seed tough in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament presented by Xbox Live, only to fall short. Last season, the Illini fell to eighth-ranked and second seeded Michigan State in overtime. This year, it was 14th-ranked and second-seeded Purdue who ended Illinois' tournament hopes, 68-57, at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on March 3. Janelle Hughes and Erin Wigley had 13 points each to lead Illinois (15-14). The Illini jumped out to an 8-0 lead and led at one point in the second half (36-35 at the 15:25 mark), but Purdue countered with a 7-0 run and pulled away down the stretch. Illinois dominated the glass, holding a 38-21 rebounding edge, but 19 UI turnovers, compared to just five for the Boilers, proved to be the difference.
Illinois Big Ten Tournament Notes
• With the first-round victory over Northwestern, Illinois advanced to the quarterfinals for the seventh time overall and the second year in a row.
• The Illini dominated the glass in its two tournament games, out-rebounding Northwestern and Purdue 81-57 in the two games.
• Illinois is now 10-12 in the Big Ten Tournament since it went to its current format in 1995. The conference held a double-elimination tournament for one season (1982).
Illini Claim Big Ten SuperFan Cup
Illinois was the winner of the fourth annual Big Ten SuperFan Cup, which rewards the conference school that had the highest percentage attendance increase in league games from one year to the next. Illinois averaged 3,468 fans in eight Big Ten home games this year, compared to 2,034 last season - an increase of 71 percent.
Illinois had five Big Ten crowds of over 3,500 fans and had a season-high crowd of 6,459 for the Feb. 5 match-up with Michigan State, which was the largest crowd at Assembly Hall since 8,967 fans witnessed the Illini beat Michigan on Jan. 27, 2002.
Hughes, Wigley, Bjork Named to All-Big Ten Teams
Senior Janelle Hughes and junior Erin Wigley were both honorable mention selections to the Big Ten All-Conference teams. Hughes was an honorable mention pick by both the coaches and media, while Wigley was only selected to the media team. It is the first All-Big Ten honor of any kind for both players.
Illini freshman Lori Bjork also earned Big Ten honors as a member of the five-player All-Freshman team, selected by league coaches. The media does not select an All-Freshman team. Last season, Illinois' Danyel Crutcher was an All-Freshman team selection.
Illini Headlines
• Grentz gets #650: Illinois' win over Michigan on Feb. 26 was the 650th of Theresa Grentz's Hall of Fame career. Grentz, who is 651-298 (.686) in her 32-year career, is the 10th Division I women's basketball coach to reach the 650-win milestone.
• A win over Western Illinois would...
...be the first over WIU since the 1983-84 season
...snap a five-game home losing streak
• Illini Trends: This year the Fighting Illini are...
...7-0 when scoring 70 or more points
...6-0 when shooting 45% or better
...6-0 when having fewer turnovers than their opp.
...8-1 when holding opponents under 35% shooting
...13-2 when leading at halftime
...11-2 when allowing fewer than 60 points
...14-3 when shooting better then their opponent
...6-5 at home
...2-3 in the postseason WNIT
• Injury Report: Three Illini are currently unavailable due to injury. Freshman Danielle Gratton suffered a stress fracture in her right foot on Feb. 7 and will miss the rest of the season. Megan Nyquist had exploratory surgery on her knee last week and is also out for the season, while Lacey Simpson plans to apply for a medical redshirt after having internal surgery in December. In addition, freshman Tori Arndt is taking a non-medical redshirt this season, bringing the number of Illini unavailable to four.
• Crowd Pleasers: A season-high crowd of 6,459 rowdy fans cheered the Illini in their Feb. 5 match-up with Michigan State. That total was the largest crowd at Assembly Hall since 8,967 fans witnessed the Illini beat Michigan on Jan. 27, 2002. Illinois averaged 2,930 fans in 11 homes games this season, up over 65 percent from last season.
• Record Day in Madison: A pair of Illini had record-breaking games in the win over Wisconsin on Jan. 15. Maggie Acuna dished out 16 assists, which broke both Illinois and Kohl Center records. The old UI record was 15, by Kim Brombolich on 1/22/82. Lori Bjork, meanwhile, hit 5 of 6 three-pointers to break the Kohl Center record for three-point accuracy.
Bjork Provides Deep Threat
• Freshman Lori Bjork was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team as selected by league coaches. Bjork currently leads all Big Ten freshmen in 3FG made (50) and is second among freshmen in scoring (10.3).
• Bjork has been hot as of late, hitting 12 of her last 26 (.462) from beyond the arc in the last five games. In Big Ten play, she shot .390 from three-point land, which ranked eighth in the league.
• Bjork popped up on some Illinois single-season charts thanks to her stellar play. She currently ranks fifth on the UI single-season three-point field goals list and is second on the freshman three-point field goals list with 50. She is also eighth on the freshman points list with 299.
• The Johnston, Iowa, native had a career night against Wisconsin on Feb. 9, pouring in a career- and Illinois season-high 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Earlier this season at Wisconsin, the sharpshooter nailed 9-of-12 shots for 24 points, including 5-of-6 from behind the arc, which set a new Kohl Center record for single-game 3FG accuracy and equaled the fifth-most threes made in a game in school history.
• Bjork got her career off to a blazing start, leading the Illini in scoring in four of the first five games, including a career-high 20 points and four three-pointers vs. NIU on 11/29.
• Bjork 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.
Sweet J
• After coming off the bench at Northwestern, Janelle Hughes, known as "J' by her teammates, seems to have regained her mid-season scoring form. Coming off the bench for the only time this season, Hughes scored 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting and tallied six assists and five rebounds against the Wildcats on Feb. 16. In five games since then she has been above her season scoring average (13.6).
• Hughes, who was recently named an honorable mention All-Big Ten performer by both the coaches and media, has been the team's most consistent scoring threat this season. She has scored in double-figures 21 times and has led the Illini in scoring on 13 occasions, both team bests.
• Hughes currently ranks 10th on both the Illinois single-season (40) and career (74) three-point field goal lists.
• Hughes had a stellar night in Illinois' win over Bradley, hitting a career-best 4 of 6 from downtown en route to a career-high 22 points. She later equaled that 22-point performance at Rhode Island.
• In the win over No. 15 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.
Air Gordon
• In her first career start, freshman guard Chelsea Gordon converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 2.6 seconds left to give Illinois a thrilling 60-59 road victory over Northwestern on Feb. 16. Gordon put-back a Lori Bjork miss to tie the game, and then, after a timeout, hit the winning free throw.
• Gordon pulled down a career-high eight rebounds in a career-high 22 minutes of action Feb. 9 vs. Wisconsin. The Erie, Pa., native has seen more playing time down the stretch with Danielle Gratton out due to injury.
• Gordon scored a career-high 12 points on 5 of 8 shooting at MSU on Jan. 19. She hit back-to-back treys that sparked a furious Illini rally that turned a 25-point deficit into a seven-point game with just over three minutes to go.
Erin Wigging Out
• After averaging 7.3 points in Illinois' first seven games, junior forward Erin Wigley has lived up to expectations as Illinois' leading returning scorer from last season. Wigley has scored in double figures in 19 of Illinois' last 23 games, averaging 12.6 points in that span.
• Wigley, who was recently named an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by the media, has led the Illini in scoring eight times and in rebounding six times, which both rank third on the team.
• The junior scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed eight boards in just 25 minutes vs. Illinois State. She later dropped 20 at Iowa.
• Wigley had what Coach Grentz called the best all-around game of her career vs. MSU on 2/5. Wigley scored 14 points, 12 in the second half, had eight rebounds and a career-high tying four blocks vs. the Spartans. She followed that up with a 17-point, nine rebound performance vs. Wisconsin three days later.
All-Around Acuna
• Senior Maggie Acuna blew the doors off the Kohl Center in Illinois' 84-54 win at Wisconsin on 1/15, posting a school-record and Kohl Center record 16 assists. The old Illinois record was 15, by Kim Brombolich way back on Jan. 22, 1982.
• Acuna currently ranks third in the Big Ten in assists (4.41) and ranks in the top-12 in the Big Ten in five different categories according to 3/7 stats, including assists (3rd), steals (4th), minutes played (7th), assist-to-turnover ratio (9th) and defensive rebounds (12th).
• Acuna has been climbing the Illinois career charts all season. She currently ranks 12th on the UI assists list with 293 and 15th on the steals list with 155.
• The diminutive 5-6 guard is a demon on the glass. She pulled down a career-high 12 boards vs. Purdue and is averaging 4.8 per game on the season, which ranks fourth on the Illini. She's especially tenacious on the defensive glass, averaging 4.2 per game, which ranks 12th in the Big Ten. She has led the team in rebounding five times this season.
Tabon Doubles Her Fun
• Junior center Audrey Tabon busted out of a mini-slump vs. MSU on 2/5 with 14 points - 12 in the first half - on 6 of 8 shooting, while also adding six rebounds. In Big Ten play, she ranked eighth in rebounding (6.9), sixth in offensive boards (2.3) and 10th in defensive boards (4.6). She is averaging 8.8 rebounds per game in the last four games including tournament.
• 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.
Crutcher Tears Up Sooners
• Danyel Crutcher, a Big Ten All-Freshman team selection last season, has been a force in the paint for the Illini ever since her breakout 24-point, 11-rebound performance vs. No. 15 Oklahoma back on Dec. 18. She finished the regular season ranked fourth in the Big Ten in FG% (.532), 13th in defensive rebounding (4.0) and 17th in overall rebounding (5.6) in Big Ten games despite averaging just 19.1 minutes. Prior to the breakout OU game, Crutcher had just 23 points on the season and was averaging only 9.0 minutes per game.
• In the game against the Sooners in December, Crutcher hit 10 of 15 shots to shatter her previous career-high of 13 points, and hit the glass hard against Courtney Paris, one of the top centers in the nation, to earn her third career double-double.
• Crutcher was named Big Ten Player of the Week (Dec. 19) following the Oklahoma performance and then followed that up with another double-double (12 pts., 10 rebs.) vs. Illinois State.
• In the last six games leading including the tournament, Crutcher is averaging 10.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Gratton Grounded
Freshman Danielle Gratton, who had been one of Coach Grentz's first two players off the bench for most of the year, suffered a stress fracture in her right foot on Feb. 7 and is out for the rest of the season. Gratton provided a scoring punch off the bench for Illini, averaging 4.5 points in just 13.0 minutes per game. She scored a career-high nine points on two occasions, at Bradley and vs. Michigan. The 6-0 guard was an impressive 12-of-27 (.444) from three point and 12-of-15 (.800) from the line.
Nyquist Sidelined Again
Redshirt-freshman guard Megan Nyquist, who sat out all of last season and missed the first five games this year recovering from an ACL tear in her right knee, will be sidelined once again after injuring the same knee in practice on Jan. 27. Nyquist made her UI debut vs. St. Louis at the United Center, scoring two points in her first collegiate action. Later, vs. Michigan, she scored seven points in only seven minutes. On the year, she has appeared in four games and is averaging 2.3 points. She had exploratory surgery on Feb. 15 and will not return this season.
Arndt to Redshirt
Freshman Victoria Arndt (Damascus, Ohio) plans to redshirt the 2005-06 season, head coach Theresa Grentz said before the season opener at Loyola. Arndt was the 91st ranked senior in last year's class according to All-Star Girls Report. She led West Branch HS to the 2004 Ohio Division II state title and graduated as the all-time leading scorer.
More Illini Tidbits
• Hitting the Boards: Illinois leads the Big Ten in defensive rebounds (26.5) and ranks third in the league in rebounding offense (37.7). Illinois grabbed a Big Ten season-high 59 boards vs. St. Louis and is 12-7 when it out-rebounds the opponent.
• D-D-D-Defense: The Fighting Illini defense has been stout this season. Illinois ranks third in the league in FG percentage defense (.393) and fifth in points allowed (61.3). In its six conference wins, Illinois has held opponents to just .352 (135-384) shooting from the field and just .244 (24-98) from behind the arc, while allowing only 55.0 points per game.
• Trey-mendous: Illinois has been hot from behind the arc in the last five games, hitting 26-of-63 (.412) in the last three regular season games and the Big Ten Tournament. The Illini had hit just 20-of-94 (.213) from downtown in the eight games prior to that, including just 8-of-51 (.157) in the last five before the 2/16 NU game. For the season, the Illini are shooting .340 from three-point land and are averaging 4.5 treys per game, up from .278 and 2.9 in those two areas last season.
• 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 they beat No. 10 Minnesota, 94-80, on Jan. 26, 2003.
• Home Cookin': After a 6-0 home start, Illinois dropped its final five home games to finish the 2005-06 home slate at 6-5. The Jan. 22 loss to Purdue snapped a nine-game home winning streak dating back to last season, which was the longest since an 18-game streak from 1997-99. The current five-game home losing streak is the longest since a six-game streak during the 1988 season. All-time, Illinois is 215-118 (.646) at home and 176-96 (.647) at Assembly Hall.
• Sumo Championship: The title match of the crowd favorite Sumo Challenge, which pitted Illini players dressed in sumo wrestling costumes against each other in a tournament format, was shown on the video board during a second-half timeout during the Feb. 23 home finale. The championship match of the season-long tournament, which was filmed in October and was aired throughout the season, pitted freshmen Chelsea Gordon and Lacey Simpson against one another. Simpson won the best-of-five title match 3-1 to claim the sumo title.
