Nov. 22, 2009
Box Score
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Stifling defense and strong inside play helped Illinois pick-up its third straight victory Sunday afternoon at Assembly Hall with a 67-45 win over Bradley. The Fighting Illini held the Braves to 25.4 percent shooting and forced 23 turnovers to avenge an 18-point defeat a year ago. Freshman forward Karisma Penn scored a career-high 21 points and senior center Jenna Smith posted her fourth double-double in four games this season with 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Orange and Blue.
Illinois (3-1) used an early 12-0 run to take a 15-6 lead and control of the game midway though the first half. Though the Illini struggled on the offensive end (31.3 percent shooting and eight turnovers), the UI defense shut down the Braves in the first half to the tune of 20.7 percent shooting and 14 turnovers to help the Orange and Blue to a 26-16 halftime lead.
Senior Lacey Simpson keyed the Illini's dominant second half. Simpson, who hit all five of her shots and finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals, did almost all of her damage in the second half after sitting out the final 16 minutes of the first half with foul trouble. Simpson's return to the floor sparked the Illini on both ends of the floor, as she keyed a 16-4 UI run to start the second half that pushed the lead to 42-20 at the 13:27 mark.
Penn scored 16 of her game-high 21 points after halftime as Illinois shot a sizzling 53.8 from the field in the second stanza. The freshman from Shaker Heights, Ohio, also added four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a career-high 35 minutes.
Smith, meanwhile, hit only 5-of-13 shots but made all five of her free throws en route to her 36th-career and fourth-straight double-double. She also extended her streak of double-digit scoring games to 43. Simpson's seven rebounds give her exactly 700 for her career. She is the ninth player in school history to reach that milestone.
Sophomore point guard Fabiola Josil also had a solid game, coming off the bench to score eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, while also adding three rebounds, two assists and a career-high tying three steals in 22 minutes.
For the game, Illinois shot 41.4 percent from the field (24-of-58) and 73.9 percent from the line (17-of-23). Bradley (1-2) shot 25.4 percent for the game (16-of-63) and just 35.3 percent from the charity stripe (6-of-17). The Illini capitalized off of the 23 BU mistakes, outscoring the guests 23-7 in points off turnovers and also holding a 14-2 advantage in fast break points.
The Illini will now hit the road for four straight games beginning with a Tuesday night tilt at Illinois State (2-1) starting at 7 p.m. They'll then head out west for Thanksgiving to play in the Cal Poly Holiday Beach Classic in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Illinois will face Cal Poly on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 4 p.m. CT and Alabama on Sunday, Nov. 29, at 4 p.m. CT.
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