Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Coverage: Semi-Finals

By Michael O'Neill: SPM IN Writer
Posted Sunday, March 9, 2008

Game 1: Purdue (3) 80, Iowa (2) 73

INDIANAPOLIS -- The fact that the Purdue Boilermakers have advanced to the Big Ten Tournament Final shouldn’t surprise anyone. It was the manner in which they did that has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Coming back from a 17-point first half deficit, third-seeded Purdue beat the second-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes 80-73 to reach their third straight Big Ten Tournament Final. Purdue clamped down on defense in the latter stages of the game, holding Iowa to just one field goal over a seven-minute period to take control. Purdue added 16 points of their own during that time, going from a two-point deficit to a commanding 75-63 lead with just 1:08 remaining.

Purdue’s interior offense led the way in the second half, with senior Kalika France, junior Danielle Campbell and freshman Keshia Mosley scoring 18 points each, more than any other scorer for either team. Sophomore guard FahKara Malone added 15 points as well. The offense, however, was created in large part thanks to the Boilermaker defense – Purdue forced 19 Iowa turnovers (12 from outright steals) while only losing the ball six times themselves. Purdue scored 25 points off of the Iowa turnovers.

Purdue coach Sharon Versyp commented on the impact of the turnovers, saying, “I think for us to be where we’re at today is because of our defense, and because of our fast breaks and being able to cause problems and getting to the foul line.” Purdue found themselves at the line often during the second half – in fact, 10 of the 16 points in the decisive second-half run came from the charity stripe.

Iowa started out on fire and seemed to have Purdue’s number early on. After jumping out to an already impressive 15-4 lead in the first six minutes, the Hawkeyes would add another 11-0 run to build a 26-9 lead with 9:00 remaining in the first half. Purdue would answer back with a 13-2 run of its own, then by continuing to chip away at the lead throughout the remainder of the half, narrowing the gap to a mere three points by the break.

Purdue will play Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game Sunday afternoon. It will be the fifth time in six years that the Boilermakers have reached the last game of the tournament, and Purdue will be seeking its seventh tournament title, while Illinois will be playing for its first.

Game 2: Illinois (9) 55, Michigan State (5) 41

INDIANAPOLIS - The good news for this year’s Cinderella in the Big Ten Tournament? The slipper still fits for the Fighting Illini. The bad news? The feet that wear said slipper have to worn out by now.

The Illini outlasted the Michigan State Spartans Saturday night 55-41, winning their third game in as many nights and advancing to their third Big Ten final in team history. For the third straight game, all five Illini starters played at least 31 minutes and were still able to beat a higher seeded team.

The victory takes first-year Illini coach Jolette Law’s Big Ten tournament record to 3-0. Law spoke of the mindset of her team after the game. "The character of my team -- they're winners. They put in the swagger and they want to go somewhere. They've put their mind to it and they want to go to the NCAA. They say, 'Coach, whatever we have to do, lead us, show us what we have to do,' and they've done that."

The Illini finished the game on an 18-3 run, aided by shooting 14-18 from the free throw line. Illinois outscored the Spartans 40-22 in the second half, holding Michigan St. to just two field goals in the final 14:40.

Sophomore Big Ten first team center Jenna Smith led all scorers with 16 points, while junior guard Lori Bjork added 14. Senior guard Rebecca Harris added 10 points, seven of which came during a crucial three minute stretch halfway through the second half. With Michigan State leading 34-30, Harris scored the next seven points to give Illinois a three-point lead. After four quick points by Spartan center Lauren Aitch gave Michigan State a one-point lead, Harris scored again, giving the Illini a lead that they would hold for the rest of the game.

Michigan State could do little against the Illini defense for most of the night. Most of the scoring came from the interior, with forward Kalisha Keane leading all Spartan scorers with 10 points. Center Allyssa DeHaan, recently named to the Big Ten All-Defensive team, added eight points to go with four blocks, and did a good job of keeping the interior offense of the Illini in check.

While the inside presence was there for Michigan State, the outside shots simply weren’t falling. The Spartans were a woeful 1-13 from beyond the arc, on their way to shooting 31.3% overall from the field. The Spartans also had trouble holding on to the ball, committing 18 turnovers and collecting just 5 assists.

The Illini move on the Big Ten Tournament Championship game Sunday night and will face the Purdue Lady Boilermakers. Illinois will be looking for their first ever Big Ten Tournament title, while Purdue is making their fifth Big Ten final appearance in six years.