The Illini women’s basketball team got one last tune-up in Monday’s exhibition game against the Ohio Girls Basketball Report Legends for their season opener – and it was not pretty.

Although the Illini came away victorious 62-45, they committed 25 turnovers and got off to a slow start.

One problem that plagued last year’s Illini was shooting. Last season, the team finished seventh in the Big Ten in field goal percentage.

In the first half of Monday’s game, the Illini shot only 41 percent and 1-6 from beyond the arc.

“Our first four shots were jacked-up three-pointers,” said head coach Theresa Grentz. “I called a time out and told them we need to get it inside.”

One of the things the Illini would like to do this season is run the court. On Monday night, the team was up and down the court, but at times the team got sloppy.

“I like to play fast,” Grentz said. “Basketball is chaos in motion. We need to take care of the ball better though, if we are going to run the court – tonight we tossed the ball around like a loose hand grenade out there.”

The Illini did come out in the second half and shot the ball better. The team shot 52 percent in the second half making more of a conscious effort to get the ball inside.

Freshman forward Danyel Crutcher had 11 points and sophomore center Brittney Daugherty pitched in nine points and 12 rebounds.

Senior forward Tiffanie Guthrie led the Illini with 19 points.

“Brittney had a solid floor game,” Grentz said. “She does not play like a freshman anymore. Tiffanie had a strong game.”

With 2:57 left to go in the game, the Illini got a scare. Daugherty collided with an Ohio Legend opponent while fouling her injuring her knee. Daugherty had to be aided off the court by teammates.

“That was my third trip to the floor,” Grentz said. “Brittney has a kneecap that slides in and out and we had a scare over the summer with the same thing. I’m just praying that it calms down.”

In the game, senior forward Angelina Williams and junior guard Janelle Hughes sat out for disciplinary reasons.

“It is always my policy that you have to practice the day before a game,” Grentz said. “Angelina and Janelle did not practice for personal reasons, but they are not suspended. They’ll return to practice and be ready to play.”

Although the Illini did not play their best basketball, there were some positives.

“We did some positive things on the defensive side of the ball,” Grentz said. “We got the ball inside on the post and did some nice things in there.”

Grentz said the Ohio Legend team provided the Illini with a good simulation of Big Ten play.

“(Ohio Legend center) Shalon Pillow was a ‘moose-ette’,” Grentz said. “She had four fouls and I told the referee ‘Hey, I’m paying for the game, we need that kid in there.’ In the Big Ten there are a lot of ‘moose-ettes.’ She really worked them in there.”

The Illini return to action in their season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday at the Assembly Hall.