University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Illinois
GOPHERS DROP 88-69 DECISION TO ILLINOIS
1/29/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Blauser, a junior forward who leads Illinois with an 18.1 points per game average, scored 32 on a 13-for-20 performance from the floor. Parker tallied 24 points, 17 of them in the first half.
The Golden Gophers found themselves down by 11 points at intermission, 45-34, despite one of their better offensive outputs in the first half of action. Minnesota shot nearly 50 percent from the floor and a blistering 57 (4-7) percent from behind the three-point arc but still was unable to keep pace with the Big Ten's top scoring team.
Minnesota cut the Illinois lead to seven points at 45- 38 when center Kim Bell banked home a pair of short jumpers to open the second half. After Gopher point guard Erin Olson missed a three-pointer which would have cut the lead to four, Blauser rattled off the next seven points to take the Illinois lead back to a comfortable 14 points. Minnesota could not get within 12 points the rest of the way.
"We shot the ball better and our execution was better but I was disappointed in a few breakdowns on defense," said Minnesota head coach Cheryl Littlejohn. "Give credit where credit is due, Illinois executed very well tonight."
Illinois played the game without junior forward Tauja Catchings, a second-team All-Big Ten pick from a year ago and the Illinois leader in assists and third- leading scorer averaging 12.2 points per game. Illinois coach Theresa Grentz was pleased with her team's performance without Catchings in the lineup, noting that 26 assists led to their 33 baskets. "They're handling adversity as an opportunity," added Grentz.
Senior forward Sonja Robinson led the Gophers with 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Cassie VanderHeyden came off the bench to chip in 11 points and Erin Olson added 10.
Minnesota continues its homestand by hosting Northwestern on Sunday in a 2 p.m. game at the Sports Pavilion.
