Feb 19, 2004
By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Associated Press Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After watching Katie Gearlds struggle in the first half against Illinois, Purdue coach Kristy Curry let her disappointment be known at the break.
"I probably just made her mad," Curry said.
Whatever she did, it worked.
Gearlds sparked an 11-0 run early in the second half that fifth-ranked Purdue parlayed into a 65-49 victory over Illinois on Thursday night.
Shereka Wright had a three-point play and a layup, and Gearlds capped the run with a 3-pointer to give Purdue a 42-23 lead. Wright scored 18 points for the Boilermakers (22-2, 12-1 Big Ten), who won their 13th game in a row.
"In the second half, we came out more aggressive on the defensive end and that helped on the offensive end," Wright said.
Illinois (10-14, 4-9), led by Tiffanie Guthrie with 16 points, lost its 18th straight at Mackey Arena, the longest drought of any Big Ten school. The Illini last won a game here on Jan. 22, 1984.
Angelina Williams added 15 points, and Cindy Dallas had 15 rebounds for the Illini.
"Tonight we did some unforced things, and that gave them opportunities and you can't give a team like that opportunities," Illinois coach Theresa Grentz said.
The Boilermakers overcame 35-percent shooting with tough defense and hard work on the boards. Purdue scored 20 points off turnovers and outrebounded the taller Illini 44-39.
Emily Heikes' 12 rebounds helped neutralized any perceived advantage the Illini thought they had coming in. Heikes' aggressiveness helped contain Dallas, who made just two of 13 shots and scored seven points.
"That was our main objective, to take them out of their game down low," Heikes said.
After getting just two points on 1-of-4 shooting in the first half, Gearlds scored nine points in the first nine minutes of the second. Her layup with 11:24 to play gave the Boilermakers a 49-33 lead.
Wright took over from there. She scored 14 points in the second half to help seal the win.
The overmatched Illini couldn't keep up. They committed 23 turnovers and shot just 34 percent.
"I thought defensively we held them to (35) percent on their floor, so we did some good things there," Grentz said. "Unfortunately we turned the ball over a little more than we could have and it led to our shooting problems."
Illinois was in the game for the entire first half, despite missing its first seven shots.
Purdue took a 9-0 lead in the first 5:30. Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, shooting an identical 28 percent.
The Boilermakers took a 28-19 lead into halftime thanks to 8-for-11 shooting from the free throw line. Illinois made its only free throw of the half.
"We just had to step it up and be more intense," Purdue point guard Erika Valek said. "We just weren't being aggressive. We needed to come out and set the tone."
Their defensive intensity in the second half did just that, forcing the Illini to rush shots and lose their concentration.
"We've got the shots, they're just not going in," Grentz said. "They're good percentage shots, we're just not making them."