FightingIllini.com
The Official Home of University of Illinois Athletics
- Men's Sports
- MEN'S SPORTS
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Football
- Golf
- WOMEN'S SPORTS
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
No. 25 Men's Hoops Lights Up Penn State In Second Half, 94-84
  |
|
Illinois' Sergio McClain drives past Penn State's Titus Ivory in the second half.
|
March 11, 2000
Postgame Audio
* Coach Kruger Audio
* F. Williams, D. Krupalija and B. Cook Audio
By NANCY ARMOUR
AP Sports Writer
CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois had to scratch and claw its way into the Big Ten tournament finals as an 11th seed last year, knocking off three top 25 teams to get there.
The Illini are on their way back to the championship round, and the ride is a whole lot better the second time around.
"Last year was a surprise," Sergio McClain said. "This year, it was expected."
The No. 25 Illini (21-8) are playing like they've got big postseason plans, putting together a near-perfect second half Saturday as they beat a worn-out Penn State 94-84 in the Big Ten semifinals.
Freshmen Brian Cook scored 18 points and Frank Williams added 16 to lead five Illinois players in double figures. The Illini's reserves contributed 33 points, and 11 different players scored.
They shot 74 percent from the field in the second half, making 11 of their first 15 shots, were 19-of-25 from the free-throw line, had a season-high 30 assists on 33 field goals, and outrebounded the Nittany Lions 34-27.
"We're moving the ball well," coach Lon Kruger said. "That's from confidence. A lot of guys are playing with confidence. They're starting to trust each other."
Jarrett Stephens led the ninth-seeded Nittany Lions (15-15) with 24 points and seven rebounds. Joe Crispin, still fighting an upper respiratory infection, finished with 20 points and 11 assists. His younger brother, Jon, scored 12 - all on 3-pointers.
Illinois, the fourth seed, will play the winner of the Wisconsin-Michigan State game in Sunday's final. Illinois lost to the Spartans in last year's championship.
The ninth-seeded Nittany Lions, meanwhile, will go home and wait to see if their stunning upset over No. 4 Ohio State in Friday's quarterfinals was enough to get them to the NIT.
"The thing that hurt us was we got away from the things that got us through the first two games - playing like a team on offense, playing like a team on defense," Stephens said. "We did that for about 2 1/2 games and we needed to do it for three."
The game wasn't nearly as close as the final score indicated. Penn State was weary from its third game in three days, and Illinois led by as much as 22 in the second half before coach Lon Kruger sent in the subs.
"We were beat," Joe Crispin said. "I was feeling good - I think we all were - until the middle of the second half. Then it just kind of hit me. That's when everything got really messed up, when they really defeated us."
Though Illinois had a 57-44 lead five minutes into the second half after opening with a 15-8 run, Penn State hung on. Jon, the younger, lesser-known Crispin, made back-to-back 3-pointers to cut Illinois' lead to 63-52 with 12:10 left.
But Marcus Griffin scored on a layup, Cory Bradford and Sean Harrington each made 3-pointers, and Illinois had a 71-55 lead with 9:47 left. The Nittany Lions went the next five minutes without a field goal, and by the time Brandon Watkins hit a layup with 5:44 left, the only place the basket mattered was in the box score.
"It was to the point where it looked like every shot they threw up was going in," Stephens said. "There was a stretch of the second half where they were unbelievable."
While the only visible blemish for the Illini were their turnovers - they gave up 19 points on 19 turnovers - the Illinois players weren't satisfied with their effort.
They were happy with their defense, holding the Nittany Lions to 46 percent shooting. But there's plenty of work to be done, Bradford said.
"Our expectations are internal," he said. "We expect a lot out of each other."
Illinois, which has won nine of its last 10, went after the weary Lions from the start. Griffin scored three straight baskets during a 21-8 run that gave the Illini a 37-21 lead with 4:27 left in the half.
But Joe Crispin, who scored seven points in the final 2:20 in Penn State's stunner over Ohio State, wasn't ready to go home just yet. His 3-pointer sparked a 15-5 run that cut Illinois' lead to 42-36 at the half.
