Jan. 16, 2012

Box Score

Evanston, Ill. - Illinois battled back from down 10 points to tie with a late three-point shot, but Northwestern hit a free throw in the final three seconds to pull out a 59-58 victory Monday in Evanston. The loss was the fourth straight and fifth this year that came down to the final shot for Illinois, who falls to 6-12 overall, 0-5 in the Big Ten. Northwestern, meanwhile, improves to 12-6 overall and 2-3 in the conference.

Northwestern post player Danielle Diamant scored a game-high 16 points for the Wildcats, but tough defense by Karisma Penn and Lana Rukavina held Diamant without a point in the final 14 minutes.

Penn scored 10 of her team-high 15 points in the first half, including a turnaround in the lane at the first-half buzzer to cut the Northwestern lead to 29-28 at the break. Sophomore guard Amber Moore added 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers.

Illinois had several positives, including limiting their turnovers to 11 and getting a career-high 10 rebounds from freshman Ivory Crawford. The Illini also got key stops down the stretch allowing them to make a run down the stretch. Down 50-43 with just over six minutes to play, junior Adrienne GoldBold (eight points) hit the second of her two three-pointers to cut the lead to four and Penn had a lay-up and a free throw on the next two possessions, respectively, to make it a one-point game.

Northwestern's Kendall Hackney made a key three-pointer to extend the lead to 53-49 with 3:49 left and the Wildcats tried to close it out up 58-53 with 39 seconds remaining, but Penn made a pair of free throws and after Northwestern missed two free throws, Moore nailed a three with 10.9 seconds left to tie the game at 58-58. The Wildcats' Karly Roser was fouled with 2.6 seconds left and made the second of two free throws to account for the final score.

On the Moore three-point shot, Law added, "We practice those situations. We don't want the defense to be able to set up. We drew it up and executed it well, but then we turn around and foul. These are the little things that we need to be disciplined enough not to do."

Illinois has lost four games by a total of six points and another in overtime during the season, four of those coming in the last two weeks.

"If we play the entire 40 minutes the way we played the last five, it wouldn't have come down to a free throw at the end," Law said afterward. "We need to have that sense of urgency earlier in the game. We have to be under control, confident and composed. It comes down to executing, taking care of the ball and making free throws (the Illini were just 14 of 22 from the stripe for the game)."

Diamant led four players in double figures for Northwestern. Freshman guards Morgan Jones and Roser scored 13 and 12, respectively, with Hackney also adding 12. The Wildcats had the size advantage, especially in the post, but the Illini were able to neutralize that advantage defensively in the last 10 minutes and accounted for seven blocks for the game (three by GodBold).

"The size was one of the concerns," Law said of the Wildcats. "We wanted to make sure we kept them off the block, force them to make the move. Our guards tried to help our posts as much as possible and did a good job at times tonight."

Illinois begins a stretch of six games where the Illini play the top five teams in the league, starting Thursday night against preseason conference favorite Penn State. Tip-off is 7 p.m. at the Assembly Hall.