DePaul Holds Off Illinois
12/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO – Khara Smith’s third double-double of the year and a three-point play by her cousin Charlene put the DePaul women’s basketball team over visiting Illinois, 89-81, on Thursday at the DePaul Athletic Center. For just the seventh time in the program’s 30 seasons of basketball the Blue Demons are 4-0.
Khara led the way with 24 points and 13 rebounds while Charlene added 19 points. Jenni Dant posted her second straight game of at least 20 points with 21 in addition to five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Ashley Luke nearly notched a double-double with 11 points and nine assists.
Following a lay-up off the tip for the Illini, the Blue Demons scored seven straight points on a pair of jumpers by Charlene Smith and a three-pointer by Luke to take a 7-2 lead two minutes into the game.
Khara Smith put DePaul up 11-4 with back-to-back short jumpers only to see Angelina Williams and Tiffanie Guthrie trim the lead to 11-8 at the 16-minute mark. Williams struck again on Illinois next possession with a three-point play to cut the DePaul (4-0) lead to just two points.
Charlene Smith found Luke off a steal for her second three-pointer of the night to extend the DePaul lead to 20-13. Cindy Dallas matched Luke’s three with the original three-point play at 13:25 to cut the lead to 20-16.
Dant’s back-to-back three-pointers from the left corner gave the Blue Demons breathing room with a 29-22 advantage with just under 10 minutes left in the first stanza. Over the next two minutes, the Illini went on an 8-3 run before Khara Smith’s free throw at 7:50 gave DePaul a three-point lead at 33-30.
Sarah Kustok’s second trey of the first half and two free throws by Charlene Smith kept the DePaul cushion at eight points with a 44-36 lead with four minutes until halftime. Following a steal off Illinois’ next possession, Dant was fouled and knocked down a pair of free shots for the largest Blue Demon lead of the first half at 10 points.
Both teams were on fire in the first half as they combined to shoot .578 from the field. The Blue Demons held the advantage at the free throw line making 14-of-18 attempts while the Illini were just 3-for-4.
Neither team gave in early in the second half as the two teams traded baskets. Aminata Yanni hit a three before Charlene Smith found Khara Smith under the basket to give the Blue Demons a 63-55 advantage with just over 14 minutes left in the game.
A second straight three by Yanni was again answered by Khara Smith, this time off a dish from Luke. Yanni’s third three in-a-row at 12:47 forced DePaul coach Doug Bruno to take a time out with 12:47 remaining and the Blue Demons leading, 65-61.
DePaul came out of the time out and went on an 11-3 run over the next four minutes to build the lead back to 12 points at 76-64. During the run, four different players scored with Dant starting the run and ending it with a pair of jumpers.
After Illinois (1-4) closed the gap to four points at 78-74, Charlene Smith hit a short jumper in the lane and Dant used a steal and lay-up to put DePaul back up by eight with just over four minutes to go in regulation.
With DePaul leading 86-81 and holding the ball with just under a minute to play, Charlene Smith’s three-point play put the Blue Demons up by eight. On Illinois’ next possession, Aminata Yanni turned it over and DePaul held on for the final.
Williams led Illinois with 22 points while Tiffanie Guthrie added 13 points, nine boards and five assists.
Up next for DePaul is a three-game road trip taking them to Boston, New York and back to Chicago. The Blue Demons take on the Holy Cross Crusaders on Saturday night before playing at Manhattan on Wednesday. DePaul travels crosstown to Illinois-Chicago for a game on Friday, Dec. 12.