Sunday’s game against Indiana was a historic one for junior guard Lori Bjork.

Bjork put up 19 points against Indiana on Sunday afternoon – but it was the last two that put her in the Illinois record books.

In the final moments of the game, the junior guard sank two free throws to become the 21st player in school history to score 1,000 career points. She received a standing ovation from the crowd after her free throws capped a 73-62 victory against the Hoosiers in the team’s “Think Pink” game.

“It’s nice to have it but it’s really more for all the people around me – family, friends, coaches that I’ve worked with over the years,” Bjork said after reaching the mark. “It’s more something they can look at tangibly and see it on paper and say I was there for that kid and I helped her. All the time they put in with me was worth it I hope.”

But Bjork was not the only star on the court Sunday. Sophomore center Jenna Smith seemed to sink every shot she took, tallying 30 points in 33 minutes.

“I feel like I’m dating myself with the John Stockton and (Karl) Malone era,” head coach Jolette Law said about the Bjork-Smith duo. “I feel very confident. I got a key offensive weapon in Lori and I have a powerful player down low. It makes me look very good at all times.”

Smith shot 10-for-16 from the field and was 10-for-12 from the free-throw line. Not only was Smith effective from the charity stripe, but the voice of an emerging leader could be heard on the court.

“My teammates are giving me confidence,” Smith said. “If I don’t post up, I get some looks from some of them. It’s that great chemistry that we are starting to grow on that we needed in the beginning of the season.”

The first and second halves seemed like two different games. During the first half, Law roamed the sidelines yelling “pressure” to her players. The team only gave up 21 points and went into the break with 29, but the second half was all about attacking the basket.

The Illini put up a solid 44 points, just three more than the Hoosiers’ 41.

Indiana head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said her players were fighting back from the very beginning.

“They took the first punch and that punch knocked us out,” Legette-Jack said. “We didn’t know whether to defend them man-to-man or go to the zone.”

Even with the talented Smith and Bjork posting stellar performances, freshman Chelsea Buher did not go unnoticed when she came off the bench. Buher made her presence known when she sank a three-point shot at the end of the first half to give the Illini the momentum heading into the locker room. She put up five points and grabbed two boards in a significant 14 minutes of play.

Law said making free throws was the key to holding onto the lead down the stretch. All she wanted her players to do was get to the line more than Indiana because she trusts them to convert once they are there.

With only five games left before the Big Ten Tournament, the team believes it now controls its own destiny.

“We’re in the second stage of our season and I’d rather peak late than peak too soon,” Law said. “I think my young ladies now understand how to win and how to close out games.”