University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Illinois
GOPHER WOMEN FALL SHORT IN SECOND-HALF COMEBACK
1/28/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Illinois (10-10, 5-3) shot 63 percent for the field in the first half to take a 53-43 lead at halftime. With five minutes left in the half, the Illinois lead reached its largest margin of 16 points.
The Golden Gophers (8-11, 1-7) brought back their main weapon from a year ago, the three-point field goal, to make a game of it in the second half. Minnesota launched 25 treys in the game, making a school record 12 of them in the game, including 7-of-16 in the second half.
Sophomore guard Lindsay Lieser tied her own Sports Pavilion record with seven three-point field goal to finish with 21 points. The game marked the seventh time in Lieser's career that she netted five or more trifectas in a game. Four of her threes came in the second half.
Consecutive three-pointers by Lindsay Whalen and Lieser capped a 14-7 Gopher run to start the second half and bring Minnesota back to within three at 60-57 with 13:11 to play. The teams traded baskets until Illinois used an 11-4 run to build a 10-point cushion at 80-70 with 1:38 remaining. Illinois hit 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to ice the outcome.
Whalen captured scoring honors with 26 points. Gopher point guard Ozlem Piroglu tallied a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 assists. Kadidja Andersson chipped in 11 points.
Illinois had five players in double figures scoring led by sophomore Allison Curtain's 19 points. Iveta Marcauskaite came off the bench to add 16.
The Gophers play their next three games on the road, starting on Thursday when they travel to Michigan.
