Nov. 22, 2010
Box Score
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Sophomore forward Karisma Penn poured in a career-high 30 points to lead Illinois (2-2) to a 104-63 victory over Cal Poly (2-2) Monday afternoon in front of 2,534 screaming school children on Youth Day at Assembly Hall. Penn hit 14-of-22 from the field and also pulled down 10 rebounds to help the Illini break the century mark for the first time since 2001. The 104 points mark the most for an Illini squad since a 112-73 win over Western Michigan on Nov. 15, 1999.
Penn wasn't the only Illini to have a career day against the Mustangs. Junior guard Lydia McCully had a career-high 17 points and tied her career-high with seven assists. Junior Macie Blinn continued her hot shooting, going 4-of-4 from three-point range and finishing with 16 points. In the last two games combined, Blinn is 9-of-12 from downtown and has scored 38 points. Junior Eboni Mitchell also had a big game, dishing out a career-high eight assists.
The Illini freshmen also got in on the action as Alexis Burke hit 7-of-9 from the field and poured in 17 points, while Centrese McGee nearly had a double-double with a season-high 10 points to go along with nine rebounds and two steals. Redshirt freshman Amber Moore pulled down a career-high eight boards and hit one trey for three points.
The Fighting Illini shared the ball exceptionally well, totaling 29 assists on the team's 45 made baskets. It was the most assists for an Illinois team since Dec. 5, 1987, when the Orange and Blue had 31 dimes against Ball State, and tied the fourth-highest total in school history.
Illinois went on a 9-0 run early in the game to turn a 6-6 tie into a 15-6 lead and would never look back. The Illini pushed the lead out to 18 at the break, 48-30, behind Penn's dominance inside. A putback by Penn at the first half buzzer gave her 21 points at the break to equal her previous career-high for a full game. The double-double marked her second of the season and the third of her career.
The Orange and Blue dominated all facets of the game, controlling the boards and the tempo throughout. Illinois outrebounded the guests 44-32, held a 54-26 edge on points in the paint, and shot 61.6 percent from the field (45-of-73) and 58.8 percent from three-point range (10-of-17). Defensively, the Illini held Cal Poly to 35 percent shooting and forced 16 turnovers.
Illinois' 45 made field goals equal the second-most in a game behind only the school record of 50 vs. Bradley in 1982, while the 10 made threes ties for the fourth most in school history and is the most since hitting 12 vs. Auburn in 2003.
The Fighting Illini will now head to Hawai'i for the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown Nov. 26-28. Illinois will face Long Beach State in the opening round at 2:30 pm PT/6:30 CT on Friday, Nov. 26 and then will face either North Carolina or Washington State in the second round on Saturday. The third and final game will take place on Sunday, Nov. 28.
