Illinitalk: An Assist (+20)

Sunday, February 08, 2009

An Assist (+20)

The Illini swept the season series against Purdue with a 66-48 victory in Champaign. And they recorded 21 assists on 25 baskets. Wow. The backcourt starters, Chester, Trent and Demetri, each had 5 assists. That distribution helped the Illini get open shots -- and today they fell.

There was lots of positive signs:

A strong finish. Although Illinois led the whole game, the Boilers made several runs to stay within 4 points. But with between 6 and 7 minues left, the Illini went on a run to put the game out of reach.
Assists. And the rest of the passing looked pretty good, too. For example, the ball went to McCamey, who thought about shooting an open 3. Then he passed to Trent, who made an even more open 3.
Improved shooting. Trent made 3 3-pointers, Mike Davis found his touch and the Illini shot 44.6%
Rebounding. The Illini did better on the boards, and were only just out-rebounded by Purdue, 34-31. Mike Davis had a great game, with 16 rebounds and 14 points, and he has been improving on the boards all season. The Illini still need to work on positioning underneath on the offensive end, but they are doing much better.
The bench. The Illini bench has become a very reliable, consistent source of energy and points. Dominique Keller made immediate contributions when he first came in the game, and the depth the bench provides is critical to surviving the conference season.
Defense. Chester Frazier held Purdue's leading scorer, E'Twaun Moore, to just 6 points, and much of that came in the second half. The Illini continue to lock down on top scorers and keep them out of the game.

This was a big win for the Illini. Next up: @ Northwestern.

Labels: Illini basketball

# posted by Alma Mater : 3:19 PM

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Sunday, February 08, 2009

An Assist (+20)

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