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No. 15 Men's Hoops Handles No. 25 Indiana, 70-62
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Frank Williams spins past Indiana's Tom Coverdale during the first half at Assembly Hall.
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Feb 26, 2002
Final Stats |
Photo Gallery
Illini Wrap - VIDEO | AUDIO
courtesy of WCIA-TV, Channel 3, Champaign
Post-game comments:
Coach Bill Self - VIDEO | AUDIO
Cory Bradford, Brian Cook, Frank Williams and Robert Archibald -
VIDEO | AUDIO
By JASON STRAIT
Associated Press Writer
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - In his final home game, Frank Williams showed the Illinois crowd why he's leaving school a year early to turn pro.
Williams, who has announced he is entering the NBA draft after the season, scored 24 points as No. 15 Illinois beat No. 25 Indiana 70-62 Tuesday night for its seventh straight victory, one that helped create a four-way tie for first place in the Big Ten.
The junior was guarded most of the game by Dane Fife, who had trouble keeping up with the quicker Williams and was repeatedly beaten off the dribble. Williams was 8-of-19 from the field and 7-of-9 from the line, and also scored seven straight points late in the game to maintain the Illini's lead.
"You didn't have to prod Frank into doing anything tonight. He took the ball to the hole a lot," Illinois coach Bill Self said. "I really believe that he tried too hard during stretches. But I'd rather live with that type of energy than live with always making the right decision and being passive."
Williams, the reigning Big Ten player of the year, has been criticized at times this for his inconsistent play and his tendency to disappear during games.
On Tuesday, he was in charge from the start. Williams took the ball on Illinois' first possession and drove straight to the basket, a move he repeated throughout the game.
"I'm proud of Frank. Frank showed some toughness," Self said. "I don't know if I've ever been around a college players whose taken more heat than he's taken and he's responded like a man's supposed to respond"
Brian Cook added 15 points, going 7-of-8 from the free throw line, and senior Cory Bradford had 13 points and was 3-of-4 from 3-point range for Illinois (22-7, 10-5).
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State and Wisconsin all have 10-6 records in the league and are tied for first, each with one game to play.
Kyle Hornsby had 14 points and Tom Coverdale added 13 for the Hoosiers (18-10), who have lost two straight and three of five.
Illinois led by as many as 14 points midway in the second half, but Indiana slowly cut the lead to two with 3:11 left on a basket by Jarrad Odle.
After a basket by Williams, Indiana assistant coach Ben McDonald was charged with a technical foul for arguing a call. It was the second technical of the game for Indiana, and it couldn't have come at a worse time.
Cook made both free throws after the technical to give Illinois a six-point lead, then put back a missed shot to put the Illini up eight with 1:39 left.
Illinois was 6-of-6 from the free throw line over the final 31 seconds, and the Hoosiers never got closer than five points the rest of the way.
Indiana coach Mike Davis said he was proud of his players for fighting their way back into the game despite coming up short.
"We never gave up. We got down 14 points and we came back in the game and played like warriors," he said.
No players from Indiana spoke to reporters after the game.
Jared Jeffries, who has been bothered by a sprained right ankle, had one of his poorest games of the season for the Hoosiers. Jeffries had six turnovers - five in the first half - and was 1-of-6 for three points.
Jeffries entered the game averaging 15.9 points.
Before the game, Davis had said the there was no one on Illinois who could guard Jeffries without help. That assignment fell to Cook, who said he took Davis' comments personally and made it a point to shut down Jeffries.
"I heard that and it gave me a lot of motivation. It had me pumped up all week to guard him and I think I did a great job on him," Cook said.
Illinois was held scoreless for 7:04 in the first half, but the Hoosiers failed to take advantage of the drought.
Illinois went on an 11-0 run behind four points each from Williams and Bradford to take an 18-9 lead. Bradford, the NCAA record-holder for consecutive games with a 3-pointer, was 2-of-3 on 3s in the half to lead Illinois to a 36-24 lead.
