Nov. 26, 2010
Box Score
HONOLULU, HI - True-freshmen Centrese McGee and Alexis Burke combined for 36 points and 15 rebounds to lead Illinois to a 69-48 victory over Long Beach State Friday afternoon in the opening round of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown at Hawaii's Stan Sheriff Center. The Fighting Illini held a 53-34 rebounding advantage and limited the 49ers to 29 percent shooting en route to their third straight win.
McGee nearly had a double-double for the second game in a row, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds (she had 10 points and nine rebounds Monday vs. Cal Poly), while Burke also finished with 18 points to top her previous career-high of 17 points, also from Monday's Cal Poly victory.
"Neither Centrese nor Alexis is playing like a freshman," fourth-year head coach Jolette Law said. "They both gave us a big boost today, especially when Karisma Penn went to the bench in foul trouble. To have Penn play only 12 minutes and still win by 21 points is a testament to our entire team. Any one of our players can step up and lead this team on a given day."
Junior guard Lydia McCully managed the game well, finishing with nine points, a career-high 10 rebounds and a team-high four assists. Junior forward Lana Rukavina tied her career-high with eight points and also pulled down six boards on the day.
Illinois (3-2) used a 15-0 run late in the first half to break the game open, turning a 23-21 deficit into a 36-23 lead with 3:40 left. The Illini maintained the 13-point lead into halftime, 43-30, and then put the game away with a 13-2 run to start the second half, pushing the lead to 56-32 and cruising the rest of the way.
Law was able to rest her some of her starters down the stretch as today's game marked the first of three games in three days. Penn, the team's leading scorer, played just 12 minutes - six in the first half due to foul trouble, and then six to start the second half before going to the bench with the Illini in control of the game. McCully and McGee also got some rest late in the game.
The Illini shot 37 percent overall and were efficient from the free throw line, hitting 13-of-16 (.813). Long Beach State (0-5) made just 17-of-58 shots (.293) and allowed Illinois' guards to get in the lane early and often. Even with Penn on the bench for most of the game, the Illini had a 40-24 edge in points in the paint and outscored the 49ers 14-6 in second chance points.
The Fighting Illini will now face No. 14/15 North Carolina on Saturday at 4:45 pm HT/8:45 CT in the semifinals of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown. The Tar Heels (5-0) were 93-55 winners over Washington State on Friday.
When asked about the prospect of facing North Carolina on Saturday, Law said the team will be more focused on itself than on the Tar Heels.
"We need to focus on Illinois and what we've been doing these last three games," Law said. "We'll get rested and focused tonight, and then tomorrow we need to control the tempo and play our style of basketball."
The Illini will be boosted by the return of sophomore guard Adrienne GodBold, who will return on Saturday after sitting out the first five games due to a suspension for violating team rules.
Illinois' third and final game in Hawaii will take place on Sunday, Nov. 28. The time and opponent will depend on Saturday's results.
