Despite getting off to another slow start offensively, the women’s basketball team defeated the Indiana Hoosiers 53-43.

The Illini missed nine of their first 11 shots, but the Hoosiers were not able to take advantage as they missed seven of their first nine shots.

After that, the Illini would hit their next two shots before asserting themselves on the defensive end.

Junior guard Janelle Hughes came off the bench and immediately contributed on defense by stealing an inbound pass that led to a turn around jump shot by Tiffanie Guthrie.

Two minutes later, Guthrie showed great anticipation when she stole a pass intended for a Hoosier post player and made a lay-up. That lay-up would be part of a 9-1 run that put the Illini up 26-11.

Indiana would end the first half missing 19 of their 24 shots.

“I like what we did on defense and we did some things that won’t show up on the scoreboard,” said Illini head coach Theresa Grentz.

Illinois shot 32 percent in the first half, but they made nine of their 10 free throws and scored 10 points off of 12 Indiana turnovers.

Angelina Williams led the first half scoring with nine points for the Illini. Tiffanie Guthrie chipped in with seven points.

At the beginning of the second half, Indiana started to shoot the ball better by hitting five of their first 10 shots. They trimmed the Illini’s 14-point half time lead to eight.

“We came out a little sluggish in the second half,” Grentz said.

However, the Illini responded by re-establishing themselves on the defensive end and they went on a 10-3 run to push their lead to 15 points. The Hoosiers could never erase the deficit.

Both teams did very little offensively in the second half.

The Hoosiers ended the game with 19 turnovers, matched by the Illini’s 19 points scored off those turnovers.

The Illini shot 36 percent for the game but held the Hoosiers to just 30 percent.

“We took a lot of three-pointers without penetrating,” said Hoosiers Head Coach Kathi Bennett.

Cyndi Valentin led the Hoosiers in scoring with 22 points. Williams led the Illini with 21.

“All of the turnovers we had in the first half cost us the game,” Bennett said.