NCAA Game Summary - Northwestern vs. Illinois
03.11.2005
|
Chicago, IL (Basketball News) - James Augustine scored 15 points and Luther Head added 14, as top-ranked Illinois bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 68-51 victory over Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals at the United Center.
The Fighting Illini (30-1) saw their dream of an unbeaten season come crashing down last Sunday with a 65-64 loss at Ohio State in the regular-season finale, but they maintained their No. 1 ranking and shook off a sluggish start in this game to pull away for the easy win.
Illinois, the Big Ten regular season champion and top seed in the tournament, will next play the winner between Minnesota and Indiana in Saturday’s semifinals. The Illini reached the tournament final in each of the past two years, winning it all in 2003.
Mohamed Hachad scored 23 points to lead Northwestern (15-16), which beat Michigan on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals. Vedran Vukusic added 15 in defeat.
Northwestern scored first on a three-pointer by Hachad and Illinois turned the ball over on its initial three possessions.
The Illini finally started to heat up four minutes into the contest, turning a tie game into an eight-point lead with a 10-2 run. Deron Williams scored the first five points of the spurt and Augustine capped it with a jumper, giving Illinois a 15-7 edge with 12 1/2 minutes to play in the half.
The lead reached double figures a few moments later and Illinois eventually stretched it to 16, at 33-17 on a bucket by Roger Powell Jr. with just over four minutes left.
The Illini shot 56 percent in the first half and went to the break with a 38-22 cushion, as Augustine scored nine. Hachad led Northwestern with 10 points in the opening 20 minutes, but the Wildcats shot just 32 percent.
Despite nine first-half turnovers — just one shy of its season average for a game — Illinois carried a double-digit lead to the intermission for the 19th time this season.
Northwestern started the second half with a 7-2 run to pull within 40-29, but Illinois answered with the next six points to restore a comfortable margin.
The Illini cruised from there, using a 12-2 run midway through the second half to open a 25-point lead at 58-33.
