Jan 30, 2003
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - With leading scorer Shereka Wright struggling with a broken hand and Illinois not giving in, No. 10 Purdue had to scratch out an 82-78 win over the Illini on Thursday.
Wright, who averages 19 points per game, played with a broken bone in her left, non-shooting hand. She made just 2-of-12 shots from the field, but knocked down 9 of 13 free throws and scored 13 points for Purdue (17-3, 6-2 Big Ten).
She missed the Boilermakers win over Northwestern on Saturday, but was cleared to play against Illinois.
"It's something that you can't let yourself think about," Wright said. "I think it's more of a mental thing than anything. I wasn't in pain or anything, I just have to get the mental thing worked out."
 | "Road wins are extremely tough to come by in this league. And I can't express how proud I am of this team for their effort." -- Purdue coach Kristy Curry |
Purdue's Erika Valek led the way with 20 points, eight assists and four steals. Her last two points came on a pair of free throws with 18.7 seconds left to secure the victory.
It was Purdue's ninth win in a row over the Illini (12-6, 4-4).
Beth Jones added 17 points, including three 3-pointers in the second half for Purdue, which won for the 27th time in its last 29 games against Illinois.
"Road wins are extremely tough to come by in this league," Purdue coach Kristy Curry said. "And I can't express how proud I am of this team for their effort."
Mary Jo Noon had 15 points and nine rebounds for Purdue.
Cindy Dallas led the Illini with 16 points and 11 rebounds, her sixth double-double of the season. Aminata Yanni and Angelina Williams added 15 points, and Tiffanie Guthrie had 13.
After a putback by Dallas with about eight minutes remaining put Illinois up three, Valek sparked a 17-6 Boilermakers run by racing past Illinois defenders for a layup, stealing the inbound pass and making another layup, giving Purdue its first lead of the half.
The Illini pulled within one behind two free throws and a layup from Karen Hagberg, but Purdue closed out the game by forcing four turnovers over the last four minutes.
Illinois led 41-36 at halftime despite being outscored 10-0 to start the game. The Illini missed their first five shots, including three that missed the rim completely.
Illinois bounced back, though, outscoring the Boilermakers 21-7 over the next eight minutes behind nine points from Williams and six from Dallas.