Illini hand Iowa women first league loss

Gazette Staff

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Iowa shot 38.1 percent and got to the foul line just four times Thursday night in a 73-61 defeat at the hands of Illinois.

The No. 17 Hawkeyes fell to 11-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten. Illinois improved to 11-4 and 2-1.

Melissa Dixon again had the hot hand for Iowa, jacking up 16 3-point shots and making eight of them in a 24-point outing. Ally Disterhoft was the only other Hawkeye in double-digit scoring with 12 points.

Samantha Logic's stat line included 14 assists, eight points and seven rebounds.

Illinois got the bulk of its scoring from three players - Chatrice White, 22; Brittany Carver, 19; and Kyley Simmons, 16. Those three hit 21 of 38 shots.

Jacqui Grant recorded 15 rebounds for the Illini.

The Hawkeyes led 35-30 at halftime and held a 14-point lead with 8:56 left in the game.

'We had 22 turnovers in this game; 22 turnovers that give 26 points to Illinois,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. 'That and that they shot 17 free throws to our four is really the difference in this game.”

Next up for Iowa is a home game against Purdue at 1 p.m. Sunday.