Headaches continue with IU away from home

All season long IU has been mired in road difficulties, and that didn't change Thursday night as the Hoosiers fell to Illinois 53-43 in Champaign, Ill.\nThe same problems that have been plaguing IU (8-10, Big Ten 1-7) throughout Big Ten play -- scoring droughts and turnovers -- ended any chance the Hoosiers had of picking up their first conference road win.\nDespite sluggish play, IU had many chances to even the score toward the game's end. \nThree times in the second half the Hoosiers came within eight, but that was as close as IU would get to Illinois (12-6, Big Ten 4-4).\nEven though the Hoosiers fought throughout the second half to stay close, their poor first-half performance proved to be their demise, IU coach Kathi Bennett said.\n"Our turnovers and poor ball handling in the first half -- that was the difference in the game," Bennett said. "I thought defensively we played very tough, but they hurt us in transition."\nDealing with another cold shooting night with only 31 percent, the Hoosiers didn't do themselves any favors turning the ball over 19 times. The turnovers resulted in 19 points.\nDespite the porous shooting night from the team, junior guard Cyndi Valentin, who struggled in her last outing against Michigan, kept the Hoosiers within striking distance by scoring 22 points.\nDuring one stretch in the second half, Valentin scored nine points in a row, bringing IU within nine at 49-40.\nAs much as Valentin was hurting Illinois, forward Angelina Williams was putting a hurt on the Hoosiers.\nWhenever the Illini needed a basket, Williams was there. The leading scorer in conference play didn't disappoint, coming away with 21 points. She had four points in a pivotal stretch in the second half, pushing the Illinois lead to 13 points.\nDespite the IU guards scoring 38 points, the Hoosiers' low-post players managed just five points.\nEven with addition of sophomore Sarah McKay back to the lineup, it wasn't enough to get the post game going. Junior center Angela Hawkins, who had two double-doubles last week, was hampered with an illness limiting her three points.\nSenior forward Jamie Gathing didn't fare much better, knocking down a 19-foot jump shot with just more than 12 minutes remaining.\n"We really need to establish a post presence," Bennett said.\nA sluggish first half was a big reason the Hoosiers were playing catch up the entire game. An eight-minute field goal drought saw Illinois' lead grow from 12-10 with just more than 10 minutes remaining to 26-13 as sophomore guard Annika Boyd hit a jump shot.\nIU went into the break trailing 27-13.\nThe Hoosiers get no break in their schedule as they face off against No. 11 Michigan State (17-3, Big Ten 6-2) 2 p.m. Sunday at Assembly Hall. The game will be broadcast on WTIU.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Dan Click at daaclick@indiana.edu.