Complete Game 20 Notes

Quick Hits

• Illinois has ramped it up defensively during the Big Ten season. In conference play, the Illini lead the league in three-point percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot only .259. The Illini have given up just 21 three-pointers in the first six Big Ten games. • In three of the last four games, Illinois has limited opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field -- Iowa (.323), Northwestern (.333) and Penn State (.386).
• The Illini are tied for third in the Big Ten in blocked shots (5.2 bpg) and fifth in the league in steals (9.2 spg) in conference-only games.
• Illinois has had two of its best turnover performances of the season the last two games, posting only 11 against Northwestern and 13 vs. Penn State. The Illini also only committed 13 turnovers at Illinois State.
• Kersten Magrum has missed the last two games after suffering a concussion against Wisconsin, leaving the game after scoring 20 points, including scoring 17 in the first half. Coach Law reports that the team hopes to have her back shortly.
• Adrienne GodBold scored a career-best 19 points and added eight rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in the Illini's 71-65 loss to Penn State.
• Amber Moore posted her second-best three-point performance of the season the last time out against Penn State, making 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, including four in the first half. Moore has at least one three-pointer in 16 of the 19 games this season and multiple threes in 10 contests.
• Although she hasn't shot that many free throws, Moore has been accurate when she gets to the line. The sophomore has made 14 straight free throws dating back to the Nov. 18 game with Oregon. For her career, Moore has hit 40-of-45 attempts (88.9%).
• Illinois met Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament in three straight years from 2008-2010. In `08, the ninth-seeded Illini defeated top-seed Ohio State 64-58 in the quarterfinals. The Buckeyes won quarterfinal meetings with Illinois in `09 (70-53) and `10 (66-55).
• That victory against No. 22 Ohio State was the last for the school against a ranked opponent. The Illini have not defeated a top-10 team since Jan. 26, 2003, a 94-80 win against No. 10 Minnesota.

BAREFOOT FOR A PURPOSE

Illinois head coach Jolette Law coached in her bare feet during the Jan. 19 game with Penn State. She joined over 1,000 coaches from across the country going barefoot to raise awareness and funding to help put one million pairs of shoes on the feet of children through Samaritan's Feet.

Samaritan's Feet, based in Charlotte, N.C., is a humanitarian non-profit relief organization dedicated to taking a life-changing message of hope and equipping the feet of impoverished children in the United States and around the world with shoes. The focus is on children from Africa, South America, the Caribbean and the U.S. The concept of asking coaches to coach barefoot began in 2007 when IUPUI coach Ron Hunter was asked to do so. Over 140,000 pairs of shoes and $30,000 were donated in just six weeks. This year, Law will be joining more than 1,000 coaches by going barefoot during a game to use her platform as coaches to help Samaritan's Feet reach the goal of distributing 10 million pairs of shoes to 10 million people in 10 years.

Close But...

Illinois has lost its last five games by a combined 18 points, one of which needed overtime. The Illini are coming off a 71-65 defeat to Penn State in which the Illini led by as many as eight in the first half. Other close loses include games against Northwestern, Wisconsin, Iowa, Purdue, Oregon and Arizona State.

It has been amazing how close Illinois is to having five more wins, four of which would come in the Big Ten. In those four games, the Illini have lost either in the last possession or overtime. Had the contests swung in favor of the Orange and Blue, they would stand at 11-8 overall rather than the current record of 6-13. Against Northwestern on Jan. 16, Illinois' Amber Moore hit a three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining to tie the score. During the ensuing play, the Illini were called for a foul on Northwestern's Karly Roser, who made the second of two free throws to give Northwestern a 59-58 victory.

On Jan. 8, Wisconsin earned a narrow 70-67 victory after the Illini led for most of the game, including at 57-51. Illinois missed a last-second three-pointer that would have tied the game.

Prior to that contest, the Illini were victimized by a pair of late three-pointers. On Jan. 5 against Iowa, the Hawkeyes hadn't made a three-pointer all game, but got a trey from Kamille Wahlin with 10.9 seconds left to tie the score and send it to overtime. The Illini, who didn't trail for the last 23 minutes of regulation, fell 69-62 in overtime.

On Jan. 2, No. 20 Purdue needed a buzzer-beating Courtney Moses three-point shot to down the Illini, 64-63 at the Assembly Hall. Freshman Ivory Crawford hit two free throws with 25 seconds left to give the Illini a 62-61 lead and senior Lydia McCully made 1 of 2 from the charity stripe to make it a 63-61 lead with seven seconds remaining and force the desperation three.

After playing back-and-forth basketball over an 11-minute stretch in the second half, Illinois last led the game at Oregon, 72-71, before the Ducks scored a pair of free-throws for a one-point lead with 1:51 left. Oregon never led by more than three over the last two minutes, while Illinois got within one on a tip-in by Karisma Penn with 28 seconds remaining.

In the final contest of the San Juan Shootout, the Illini and Sun Devils competed in a back-and-forth contest throughout the majority of the game. With Illinois leading by one and time winding down, Arizona State needed a turn-around jumper with the defense in its face to secure the win, 51-50.

Last season, Illinois had five losses in which the opponent made a shot in the final 10 seconds with the game tied for Illinois leading -- at Oakland (62-61), vs. Northwestern (69-66), vs. Penn State (67-65), at Northwestern (79-78) and vs. Michigan (58-55).

Facing A Challenging Slate

Illini head coach Jolette Law compiled one of the toughest schedules in the country according to the combined strength of Illinois' opponents. The Orange and Blue battle eight opponents appearing in or receiving votes for the current Associated Press top-25 weekly ranking. Illinois has the 15th-highest strength of schedule according to Real Time RPI, the most treacherous schedule of all 12 Big Ten teams. Among the top 25 are Illinois opponents Ohio State (14th), Green Bay (17th), Michigan (18th) and Purdue (23rd) - while Wisconsin faces the next-toughest opposing schedule of all Big Ten teams at No. 20.

FACING TOUGH BACKCOURTS BACK-TO-BACK

They are statistically the top back courts in the conference, if not the country and the Illini are playing them back-to-back games. Illinois faced Penn State's Alex Bentley and Maggie Lucas on Thursday. Lucas is averaging 20.3 points per game and second in the league in three-pointers. Bentley, meanwhile, is averaging 14.7 points per game while ranking third in the conference in assists at 5.6 per contest. Illinois now turns its attention to Samantha Prahalis and Taylor Hill. Hill leads the Big Ten in scoring at 21.4 per contest with Prahahlis fourth at 18.2. The duo averages 50.8 percent of its team's scoring. Prahalis also leads the Big Ten at 6.9 assists per game.

The Buckeyes (18-1) are ranked 10th in the AP poll and 12th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches ranking. The only loss for OSU this season came to Michigan. Ohio State has three wins over ranked opponents -- #20/23 LSU (44-43) in Baton Rouge, #18 Okahoma (69-63) in Norman and 82-68 over #20/24 Nebraska in Columbus, the Buckeyes most recent game.

Moore Clutch From 3-Point Land

Amber Moore has connected from behind the three-point arc throughout her career with the Illini and is currently alone in sixth place in program history for made three-pointers with 105. Moore needs nine more to tie Allison Curtin (1998-2001) for fifth all-time.

Illinois' Career 3-Point Field Goals Made List

	Made 3PT FG	Player 	Years
1.	214	Lori Bjork	2005-08
2.	194	Krista Reinking	1994-98
3.	168	Mandy Cunningham	1990-94
4.	133	Melissa Parker	1996-00
5.	114	Allison Curtin	1998-01
6.	105	Amber Moore	2009-

Silvy Smooth Ivory Crawford

Ivory Crawford has started all but six games this season and has emerged as a force at the No. 2 guard spot. Against Purdue, Crawford made some big shots to keep the Illini right at the heels of the Boilermakers. Crawford made a pair of free throws to tie the score at 33, another two shots from the line to tie it at 37 and a big three from the corner to tie it at 42. After Purdue knotted it at 50-50, Crawford nailed another three to give the Illini the lead yet again. Crawford has scored in double-figures on six occassions this season, including a career-best 16 points against Illinois State and 14 more vs. Purdue. Against Northwestern, Crawford accounted for a team-high 10 rebounds, the first time eclipsing double-figures in boards on the year.

Your Newest 1,000-Point Club Member

Junior Karisma Penn is quickly climbing up several career charts, including becoming the 24th player in Illinois women's basketball history with 1,000 or more career points with 20-point performance on Nov. 24 against RV/#18 Green Bay. The Shaker Heights, Ohio, native enters the Penn State contest with 1,210 career points, the 16th-most all-time, and also ranks 12th in Illini history in rebounds (659) and second in blocks (176).

Illinois' Career Scoring List

 	Points 	Player 	Years
1.	2,160	Jenna Smith	2006-10
2.	2,089	Ashley Berggren	1994-98
3.	1,984	Jonelle Polk	1983-87
4.	1,906	Lisa Robinson	1978-82
5.	1,639	Angelina Williams	2001-05
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15.	1,215	Krista Reinking	1994-98
16.	1,210	Karisma Penn	2009-

Illinois' Career Rebounding List

	Rebs.	Player 	Years
1.	1,217	Jenna Smith	2006-10
2.	1,014	Cindy Dallas	1998-04
3.    	933	Jonelle Polk	1983-87
4.	900	Lacey Simpson	2005-10
5.	896	Lynnette Robinson	1978-82
--
11.	680	Alicia Sheeler	1996-99
12.	659	Karisma Penn	2009-

Illinois' Career Blocked Shots List

	Blocks	Player 	Years
1.	231	Jenna Smith	2006-10
2.	176	Karisma Penn	2009-
3.	163	Lacey Simpson	2005-10

McCully Moving Up Career Assists List

Lydia McCully has been able to find an open teammate in a position to shoot throughout her time with the Orange and Blue and took over sole possession of fifth all-time in assists as a result, with a pair against No. 21/22 Penn State on Jan. 19, breaking a tie with Tajua Catchings in the process.

Illinois' Career Assists List

	Assists	Player 	Years
1.	550	Jill Estey	1989-93
2.	507	Jenny Johnson	1984-88
3.	451	Lacey Simpson	2005-10
4.	391	Michelle Vossen	1980-84
5.	344	Lydia McCully	2008-

Block Party One Of The Best In School History

Illinois had 12 blocked shots in its victory over Memphis on Nov. 15 - tied for the second most in a game in school history. Adrienne GodBold and Karisma Penn each recorded four rejections during the contest while Kersten Magrum and Taylor Tuck added a pair of blocks each as well. The record is 13, set on Jan. 27, 2011 vs. Penn State.

REJECTIONS KEY DEFENSIVE SUCCESS

The Illini are second in the Big Ten in blocked shots at 5.2 per game with 98 through 19 contests. Individually within the conference, Karisma Penn is third in rejections as the junior averages 2.2 per contest - only 0.2 blocks a game behind conference co-leaders Ashley Adams of Ohio State and Morgan Johnson of Iowa.

Magrum Fills Scoring Role

Kersten Magrum has been a force on the offensive end for the Illini this year. The redshirt sophomore is coming off a monster game in which she scored 17 points in the first half and made her first seven shots, including three 3-pointers. Magrum scored in double figures in seven straight games, raising her season scoring average from 11.0 to 12.2. That includes a 19-point output against Alabama A&M and an 18-point game against Purdue.

After starting 15 games and averaging 4.3 points per contest as a freshman in 2009, Magrum missed all but three games last season suffering from a stress fracture in her right foot. She has returned strong, scoring in double-figures in 11 games, including a career-best 24-point, 12-rebound performance against the Ducks on Nov. 18. Magrum also has a pair of double-doubles through the first 13 games, tallying 10 points and 10 rebounds against Memphis in additon to her numbers vs. Oregon. Magrum is also an 82.4 percent free-throw shooter.

ROAD WARRIORS

The Illini played nine straight road games between Nov. 15, a 62-54 victory over Memphis and Dec. 28, an 83-65 victory over Alabama A&M. Illinois completed trips to Cleveland State, Oregon, California, Puerto Rico, Clemson, Illinois State, Chicago and Las Vegas during the nine consecutive games on the road.

On the Oregon-California-Puerto Rico trip alone, the Illini traveled a total of 8,610 miles from Champaign to Chicago then on to Portland and San Francisco before heading to San Juan for a pair of games before returning to Chicago and back home to Champaign.

McGee Suffers Season-Ending Injury

Sophomore guard Centrese McGee will miss the 2011-12 season after suffering an ACL tear in her right knee just prior to the start of the school year. The Calumet City native had surgery on Oct. 6 to correct the injury and will use the current season as a redshirt year as she recovers.

McGee started all 32 games for the Fighting Illini during her freshman campaign, averaging 5.7 points per game and ranking second on the team in rebounding at 5.3 per contest. She led all Big Ten freshmen in rebounding while ranking second among those first-year players in steals (1.2 per game). Following the season, she received the Coaches' Award at the team's annual banquet and represented Illinois on the Big Ten Sportsmanship Team.

Big Ten Tournament Tickets On Sale Now

All-session tickets for the 2012 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Illinois Athletics ticket office, Bankers Life Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is the site of the tournament from March 1-4. All-session tickets are $50 if purchased on or before Jan. 31, a 30-percent discount off the regular price of $70. Fans wishing to purchase all-session tickets within their university's fan block for their team's games only are encouraged to contact their school's ticket office.