Spirits were higher than usual Wednesday afternoon at the Ubben Basketball Facility in Champaign. Players were running up and down the steps between floors, making sure they had their sweats and everything else they needed for Thursday’s game at Minnesota. Spirits were highest for sophomore Jenna Smith who could not contain her excitement about returning to her home state.

The Bloomington, Minn., native has been a leader for the Illini in the last two games, when they beat No. 19 Ohio State and upset Michigan on its home court. Head coach Jolette Law hopes Smith, the 2006 Ms. Minnesota Basketball and AP Player of the Year, can lead Illinois to its third straight Big Ten victory.

“I don’t understand why she’s not (at Minnesota), but it’s not my problem,” Law said as a smile covered her face. “I’m glad. I’m not complaining at all. I know our team wants to make sure we get a victory for her.”

In the last two games, Law has seen both Smith and junior guard Lori Bjork step up in what she calls the “Orange Zone.” According to Law, the Orange Zone is the final two minutes of the game where the team must step up its game and do the little things to pull out a victory. Law said the purpose is “to make sure we get stops, get all the lose balls … to make sure we talk like we’ve never talked before.”

Sophomore forward Lacey Simpson said each player does what she is best at during those final minutes. Bjork sinks free throws; Smith makes the big play; Rebecca Harris takes care of the ball; and Simpson and Chelsea Gordon make the defensive stops.

With a new staff this season it took a while, but things are starting to pay off for Illinois. Law said she has seen Smith and Bjork play with a lot of confidence lately, which is rubbing off on Simpson, Gordon and Harris.

“Lori’s been coming into her own,” Law said. “The last couple of games she’s been playing like the leader that I know she can be, the clutch player that she’s always been.”

Bjork believes anyone on the team has the same opportunity to be a leader.

“We don’t have any captains,” Bjork said. “If you are having a good game, that gives you the place to step up and say something.”

But she said if she had to choose one player who has stepped up recently, it would definitely be Smith.

“Jenna Smith has really carried us all season,” she said. “I think she is starting to use her voice a lot more. I’ve been proud of her for that.”

In order to stop the Gophers (15-8, 6-5 in Big Ten), who currently sit in fifth place in the Big Ten, the Illini (13-9, 5-6) must stop junior guard Emily Fox, the conference’s fourth leading scorer. Fox is averaging 16.4 points per game and 4.35 assists – second most in the conference.

“It’s a very hostile environment in Minnesota,” Law said. “(Fox is) pretty much the brains behind that team. As she goes the team pretty much goes.”

But Bjork thinks it will all come down to how confident each team is during the Orange Zone.

“It’s just about developing the confidence and swagger than you’re going to win,” Bjork said. “You can’t give somebody that type of confidence. It comes from doing it. You can’t simulate that in practice.”

Law is going into the final stretch of the season with a mindset to win, and possibly go on a 7-0 run.

“Our mission is to try to turn this around and go on our own little streak,” Law said. “If we finish the season on a winning streak we have the opportunity to shake things up.”