Dec. 22, 2000

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NEXT UP FOR ILLINOIS....
Illinois hosts Michigan at Huff Hall to open the Big Ten Conference season. The Wolverines haven't played a game since Dec. 16, a 77-71 win over Toledo. The Illini are coming off their most impressive performance of the season, a 92-74 victory over Missouri in the first ever Braggin' Rights game for women. Illinois takes a 4-6 record into the game with the Wolverines, while Michigan is 7-3.

A RETURN TO HUFF HALL
Illinois will return to Historic Huff Hall Thursday for the contest with Michigan. The Illini called Huff home most recently from 1994-98. ?The Huff? as it became know was a huge homecourt advantage for Illinois under Head Coach Theresa Grentz. Since Grentz?s arrival in Champaign, Illinois posted a 28-7 mark at the Uff. The Illini have won 23 of their last 23 games played at Huff Hall, including the last ten in a row. The last Illinois loss cat Huff came to Stanford (91-78) on Dec. 14, 1997.

THE SERIES
Illinois holds a commanding 27-14 advantage in the series with Michigan. The Illini are 14-6 vs. the Wolverines in Champaign. Michigan swept a pair of games from Illinois last year for the first time in school history.

ILLINOIS SETS SHOOTING RECORD
The Illini set an all-time record for field-goal percentage in a second half by making 72 percent of their shots (18 of 25) in the second half vs. Missouri. That breaks the previous mark of .692 (18 of 26) set on March, 1994 vs. Michigan State. The record for a first half is .759 (22 of 29), set on Jan. 13, 1984 vs. Indiana.

1,000-Point, 400-Rebound, 200-Assist Club
Allison Curtin is approaching an elite group of players in Illinois history with 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 200 assists. Only five players have reached each of these three milestones. Curtin already has over 1,000 points (1,129) and 200 assists (204). She is closing in on 400 rebounds (369).

ILLINOIS IN BIG TEN OPENERS
Illinois has started two of the past three Big Ten seasons on long winning streaks. Last year the Illini won their first four Big Ten games, including the first two on the road (at Ohio State, 63-57 and at Wisconsin, 80-74). Illinois started the Big Ten 7-0 in 1997-98. The Illini had narrow defeats in 1996-97 (63-59 at Purdue) and 1998-99 (89-86 at Iowa). Illinois has won the last four Big Ten home openers, including an 86-60 victory over Iowa last season.

INJURIES A FACTOR IN 2000-2001
Although all four players are expected to suit up for Illinois on Thursday, Allison Curtin, Holly Wilson, Karen Hagberg and Shavonna Hunter have battled injuries this season.

Curtin is the latest Illinois player to be bit by the bug. She suffered a bad sprain in the Illini's game with Connecticut, She did not start against DePaul, but came of the bench to score 17 points, seven rebounds, and four steals in 37 minutes of play.

Holly Wilson has been bothered with an injured foot and has played just 32 minutes total in four games. Her best performance of the year came on Dec. 2 vs. Northern Iowa. She played a season-high 11 minutes and scored six points. She missed the next three games, however after reaggravating the injury. Wilson played eight minutes vs. DePaul.

Karen Hagberg suffered a high ankle sprain during pre-season and has played in just two games for a total of 13 minutes.

Shavonna Hunter has yet to miss a game, but and upper respiratory condition has affected her breathing and limited her minutes vs. Illinois State (24) and Missouri (20).

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Allison Curtin became the quickest Illinois player to 1,000 points, doing so in just her first game of her junior season.

Head Coach Theresa Grentz registered her 100th win at Illinois in an 80-62 victory over Clemson in the season opener

The Illini made their first trip to Hawaii, playing in the inaugural Women?s Maui Invitational. The Illini defeated Alcorn State and lost to Tennessee in the finals.

The Illini set a Redbird Arena record for free throw (29) and free-throw attempts (40) at Illinois State on Dec. 7.

Illinois played in the second ever women?s basketball game at the United Center vs. DePaul. Allison Curtin came off the bench to score 17 points.

A balanced scoring attack and 72 percent shooting in the second half lifted the Illini to a 92-74 victory over Missouri. Four Illinois players scored between 18 and 23 points.

Leadership at the point
Without a 100 percent Shavonna Hunter, Illinois relied on a freshman, Anne O?Neil, to carry the role at the point against Missouri. She performed admirably with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Her 19 points were one shy of her season-best. The game came just one day short of one year when Shavonna Hunter, a freshman last year, took over the point for the injured Melissa Parker.

PRACTICES OVER BREAK
Without school in session, Illinois Head Coach Theresa Grentz, is holding class for her team. The coach is taking a workman?s like approach to practice. In between the normal double sessions, the coach takes the team into the classroom, concentrating on teaching the game. The day is much like a work day, from 9-5. After two days of that schedule, the Illini responded with their best performance of the year vs. Missouri. Practices during break are closed.

CURTIN ON STEALS STREAK
Allison Curtin is on pace to become the all-time leading steals leader at Illinois. Some facts about Curtin's defensive prowess:

Curtin has a streak of 21 games in a row with a least one steal. The last time she didn't have a steal was Jan. 30 vs. Michigan State. In fact, Curtin had a steal in 32 of 34 games as a sophomore and 27 of 31 games as a freshman meaning she has a steal in 69 of 75 games in her career.

Curtin had 150 steals during her first two years as an Illini. Michigan?s Stacey Thomas, who holds the Big Ten steals record, had 160 in her first two seasons.

With 179 steals, Curtin currently ranks seventh on the Illinois all-time steals list but is just four steals from third and 22 steals from second. Curtin needs 65 steals or an average of 3.6 steals per game to break the record by the end of the year.

Dallas fulfills comeback
Regardless of what happens the rest of the season, Cindy Dallas has made a successful comeback from her third off-season knee surgery. Dallas played just 48 minutes in her first two seasons with Illinois, but started the first four contests for the Illini and posted her first ever double double with 12 points and 10 rebounds against Kansas. She began the season with a career-high 12 rebounds vs. Clemson. She leads the Illini with an 6.7 rebounds per contest average.

AN OFFENSIVE DAWN-ING
Dawn Vana has been a key figure for the Illini. She has had to. Considering 1) Illinois lost its front line of All-Big Ten performers Susan Blauser and Tauja Catchings to graduation, 2) Injuries have continued for junior Holly Wilson and sophomore Karen Hagberg, and 3) The rest of the front line includes redshirt freshman Cindy Dallas and true freshmen.

Vana set a career-high with 18 points and six rebounds in the Illini's 92-74 win over Missouri on Dec. 20. For the year Vana has averaged 7.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest.

Vana ranks second on the team with 29 assists compared to just 17 turnovers.

Vana has already surpassed last year?s points total (74) and is playing 28.8 minutes per game compared to just 12.5 last season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
The Illini have really improved in the foul department over last year. Last year an Illinois player fouled out 23 times, this year it has happened only twice.

Coach Grentz has been able to rest her starters slightly more than last season. Starters averaged playing 30.2 minutes per game last year. This year that average is 29.5.

Illinois had more assists than turnovers for the first time this season vs. Illinois State (19-16). For the season the Illini have just 99 assists to 171 turnovers.

After a brief lull, Anne O?Neil is back to making free throws again. An 80 percent free-throw shooter in high school, O?Neil was 5 for 5 from the line in the season opener. In the next three games, O?Neil connected on just 8 of 18. Since then she has made 27 of 36 (.750), including a perfect 8 for 8 vs. Missouri. One the fastest players on the dribble, O?Neil has a knack for getting to the line, having attempted 10 free throws vs. Northern Iowa, 11 vs. Illlinois State and eight vs. Mizzou.

Defense has been a big focus the last couple of weeks for Illinois. After allowing four of the first eight opponents to shoot 50 percent or better and .481 combined in the first eight games, DePaul shot just .400 and Missouri just .370 in the last two games.

GREAT LAKES STATE TEAMS AT HUFF
Ironically the last two teams two teams to play at Huff Hall have both hailed from the state of Michigan. The Illini have won those games by an average of 48 points.

Illinois defeated Michigan State, 98-51, in the season finale of the 1997-98 campaign. Tauja Catchings scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Melissa Parker added 10 points. Illinois ended the first half with an 18-2 run to take a 46-23 advantage at the break. The Illini then opened the secodn half with a 14-4 run, including six points from senior Ashley Berggren, to claim a 60-27 lead with 14:50 left in the game. The lead eventually reached 52 points at 98-46. Berggren had 21 points on 9 of 12 shooting. Krista Reinking scored 14 points, including four three-pointers.

The Illini downed Western Michigan University, 112-73, in the opening round of the Pre-season WNIT last season. Tauja Catchings scored 32 points, including 20 points in the first half.

The Illini led 59-35 at the half. Illinois? 112 points were one shy of a school record. The Illini shot .700 from the field in the first half (21 of 30) and .603 for the game. Six players reached double figures, including Karen Hagberg, who had 11 in her Illinois debut.

ILLINOIS ON CBS DEC. 30
Illinois will play the first game in a CBS tripleheader of women's basketball on Dec. 30. The Illini and the Auburn Tigers tip at 11 a.m. followed by Michigan -Purdue. Tennessee and Connecticut wraps up the day of women's basketball.

Illini Double-Doubles
Karen Hagberg (1 - career): 15 points, 10 rebounds vs. Michigan State (1/30/00).

Shavonna Hunter (1 - career): 13 points, 10 steals vs. Kansas (12/18/99) Cindy Dallas (1- career, 1 season: 12 points, 10 rebounds vs. Kansas (11/28/00)

GRENTZ TO HALL OF FAME
Theresa Grentz has been elected into the women?s basketball Hall of Fame. Grentz makes to the Hall in just the third class of honorees. Counting the Class of 2001, just 61 people have that distinction. The formal induction ceremony will be June 8-9 in Knoxville, Tenn.

Coach Grentz is being honored not only for her accomplishments as a coach but also for her accolades as a player. The coach was an imposing player on the Immaculata AIAW National Championship teams from 1972-74 and was the coach of the Olympic Team.

Grentz is beginning her 27th season as a head coach and sixth as the head coach for the Fighting Illini. She has compiled a 563-215 record overall and 102-60 mark at Illinois.

Besides her impressive credentials, Grentz is honored for her advancement of the game of basketball. Her 1992 Olympic Team was the catalyst for the present day women's professional league. She is currently President of the WBCA.

Consecutive Big Ten winner
s Illinois has four straight winning records in Big Ten play, the second longest streak going in conference play. Currently Purdue has the longest string with six straight winning seasons while Penn State is the only other school with multiple winning conference records running with two straight. Big Ten records the last four years:

CAREER MILESTONES NEARING
Allison Curtin needs 21 points for 1,150, 37 rebounds for 400, 1 assists for 200, and 21 steals for 200

Shavonna Hunter needs 29 field goals for 150, 29 rebounds for 150, 3 points for 350, 13 assists for 150, and 10 steals for 100. Dawn Vana needs 45 points for 300, and 17 rebounds for 200.

ILLINI AND THE RANKINGS
The Illini were ranked in each of the three weeks of the season. This week they received votes in both the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.

Last year Illinois was ranked No. 12 during the pre-season by both the coaches and writers. The Illini stayed in the rankings for 13 weeks, reaching as high as No. 10 on Nov. 29 following a win over Notre Dame.

CURTIN ECLIPSES 1000
Allison Curtin passed the 1,000-point mark the first game into her junior season. She hit two free throws five minutes into the game vs. Clemson to reach that mark. Her 12 total points gave her 1,012 points for her career. Ashley Berggren, Illinois? all-time leading scorer, reached that milestone in the second game of her junior year.

ELITE TEAMS ON SCHEDULE
Illinois Head Coach Theresa Grentz doesn't believe in scheduling a bunch of cream puffs in her schedule. A closer look at the powerful foes reveal these observations:

With a match-up with Tennessee in Maui, the Illini play three of last year's final four teams (Connecticut, Tennessee, and Penn State).

On the slate are four of last year's Top Five Teams (No. 1 UConn, No. 2 Tennessee, No. 3 Penn State, and No. 5 Georgia) to go along with No. 16 Purdue.

Nine teams on the schedule made the NCAA Tournament last year.

Seven teams are ranked in the current AP Top 25, including five in the top 9: No. 1 Connecticut, No. 2 Tennessee, No. 4 Georgia, No. 6 Purdue, No. 9 Penn State, No. 12 Auburn, No. 23 Texas.

Seven additional teams received votes for either the AP or ESPN polls -- Clemson, Wisconsin, Kansas, Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan and DePaul.

ILLINOIS PICKED THIRD IN BIG TEN, CURTIN SELECTED ALL-CONFERENCE
Despite losing four seniors, Illinois continues to garner the respect from around the conference. The Illini were selected third in the pre-season conference poll by both the coaches and the media. Allison Curtin was selected First Team All-Big Ten from both entities as well.

CURTIN NAMED CAPTAIN OF FARM TEAM
Allison Curtin has also been named the captain of the All-American Farm Team as named by Successful Farming Magazine, signifying the top womens? basketball player that grew up in farming. The program is sponsored by Dodge.

First Team
Allison Curtin, Illinois, captain
Janell Gerk, South Carolina
Alison Grubbs, Lake Forest College
Shauna Porter, Fort Hays State
Mary Stuehm, Hastings College

ILLINI SIGN IMPRESSIVE CLASS

Jere Issenmann was the first player to commit to the Illini from this class, having made a verbal commitment in February. Playing on a talented team will be nothing new for Issenmann since she plays for Mason (Ohio) High School, the second-ranked team in the country. She has started every game for the past three seasons (79 straight games). She averaged 10.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest in 1999-2000. Issenmann will bring another three-point threat to the Illinois team, having scored 54 three-pointers in 1999-2000 after sinking 62 or 47.7 percent of her long-range shots as a sophomore.

Tiffanie Guthrie (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) has earned almost every award imaginable. Twice she earned Greater Miami Valley Conference MVP honors, playing for the top team in the Dayton, Ohio, area, Trotwood-Madison. She was also twice named All-Ohio, one of the top girls? basketball states in the country and has also earned The Division I Area Player of the Year honor by the Dayton Daily News.

Angelina Williams is the first Grentz recruit from the Chicago Public league since coming to Illinois in 1996.

Like Guthrie, Williams' influence has been huge both scholastically and in the summer. With Williams guidance, her high school, George Washington, earned a berth in the state finals after winning a competitive Chicago Public League. Washington advanced to the state championship game before bowing to Buffalo Grove in overtime. Williams had two double?doubles in the state tournament, totaling 17 points and 10 rebounds in the quarterfinals and amassing 17 points and 16 rebounds in the final.

HEADLINE PREDICTED
Theresa Grentz predicted the headlines going into next year during her pre-season press conference. With no seniors this year, ?It will read: 'Illinois returns five starters',? she said.

OMETOWN HEROES REPLACES GRENTZ GANG
All youth eighth grade and under are admitted free to all Illinois home games when wearing any kind of uniform. The first 250 kids will be allowed to sit behind the basket in Sections AA 19-20 as part of the ?Grentz Gang.?

That policy will take effect through the Jan. 7 contest. Following that Kids will be admitted if they members of the Hometown Heroes Kids Club. For $25, kids can join the club, and in part be admitted into every sport by men's and women's basketball and football. Members of the club will be admitted for $2 for subsequent women?s game, but will able to sit in the same section if they are one of the first 250 club kids in the door.

PERSONALLY SPEAKING.... Illinois freshman Iveta Marcauskaite speaks four different languages and plans to learn two more -- Spanish and Italian.

Shavonna Hunter is wearing No. 23, her old high school number, this year after donning No. 4 last season. Teammate Melissa Parker wore No. 23 last season.

Nearly 1,400 fans have bought tickets from Taylorville, to attend an Illini game each of the past two seasons since Allison Curtin signed with the Illini. Allison and sister, Suzanne, are No. 2 and No.3 in a family of nine. Older brother T.J. (22) was actually the first sibling to attend UI. The other six children of Fred and Mary Curtin are -- Danny (17), a starter on the playoff Taylorville football team, Meredith (15), Candace (13), Keith (9), Joe (7), and Mary Kate (2). Suzanne earned a scholarship for the 2000-2001 school year by the program.

Junior Yolanda Smith's younger brother, Dwayne, is a redshirt freshman wide receiver for the Illinois football team. Dwayne caught a touchdown pass in the Illini's season finale at Northwestern.

At 6-6, Brenda Blackburn is the tallest player to ever play at Illinois.

Cindy Dallas played three straight games for the first time in her collegiate career after suffering an ACL injury each of the past two seasons.

Anne O'Neil holds the Iowa High School scoring record for a season (30.3 ppg) and career (2,494).