Prior to Sunday's dramatics, the last UI women's buzzer-beating win at home was ...

Any guesses?

To the best of my recollection (and some hasty research), the most recent game that qualifies would be Janelle Hughes' bucket to beat Northwestern 60-58 on Feb. 27, 2003. That shot came with 2.5 seconds left. Does that count as a "buzzer-beater"? Close enough, I guess. (If you're into omens, that was the last season Illinois qualified for the NCAA tournament.)

Before that, you have to go back to Ashley Berggren's memorable 8-footer at Huff Hall that beat Purdue -- with 2.7 seconds left -- on Dec. 28, 1997.

They just haven't happened often. There have been a few times in which the Illini had a chance to win on their final possession but misfired. But winning moments at the horn have been rare. For the Illini and fans, it was one to savor.

A few more random thoughts on the victory:

--One of the neat things about a tight game like Sunday's -- neither team led by more than 5 points -- is that it can provide a window into a coach's soul. You really find out where the coach's confidence rests. And in the case of Jolette Law, her infrequent use of her bench Sunday might have been telling.

Remember those early season games in which 10 or 11 players were getting into the action in the first half? Long gone. In shades of 2008-09, Jenna Smith and Lacey Simpson played all 40 minutes. And check out the bench minutes: Adrienne GodBold 14, Fabiola Josil 9, Brianna Jones 5.

Macie Blinn, Kersten Magrum, Lana Rukavina and Eboni Mitchell didn't play. Mitchell and Rukavina have played little in the last month, but Blinn and Magrum have seen their playing time steadily decrease lately, with a couple of exceptions. Magrum has played double-digit minutes in one game (the Ohio State blowout) lately and has not been seen much in games that were decided in the second half (Marquette, Penn State, Wake Forest, Alabama). Blinn, an erstwhile starter, has not played more than 13 minutes in a game since she left the starting group against Oakland. Law seems to prefer using her as a perimeter threat off the bench.

As the season has evolved, Law has continued to refine her rotation and seems to be settling in. Here are the bench minutes for each game since late November: Wisconsin 28, Penn State 54, Ohio State 62, Oakland 90, Marquette 69, Wake Forest 85, Alabama 76.

--Lacey Simpson is spending roughly half her time at the point these days, even during those periods in which Lydia McCully is in the game. It has come with some good, some bad. She was solid against Wisconsin (one turnover in 40 minutes) but not so good against Penn State (one assist, five turnovers) and Ohio State (four turnovers). But she also has an ability to break down a defense and work well with Smith, so it's a bit of a mixed bag. Last season I advocated for Simpson to move to the point, so it's been interesting to see how it has all worked out. I can understand why the Illini would be reluctant to do it, and I can also see why they like her there. In other words, I'm waffling.

One downside, however, is that Simpson sometimes lets her own offense suffer. Law knows it, and has been stressing to Simpson -- and all of her guards -- of the need to be more offensive-minded. Simpson occasionally gets so focused on managing the other parts of her all-around game -- defense, distributing -- that she neglects to look for offensive openings.

--The other thing that made Sunday's game so interesting -- for me, anyway -- was that it was almost entirely a halfcourt affair, which wasn't surprising given the opponent. Halfcourt execution is a huge key for Illinois. From a defensive standpoint, Illinois is fine. It's the offensive execution in the halfcourt that too often becomes bogged down. Wouldn't say that the Illini executed especially well against a good defensive team in Wisconsin, but they had flashes... most notably on a supremely executed final play that led to Karisma Penn's game-winner.

What's important to remember, however, is that these are the types of games that must be won when taking into account the bigger picture. NCAA tournament teams must find a way to win games like this. Not only are they imperative for building a resume, but they're also the type of game you're likely to see once you get to the big dance. Law -- like any defensive-minded coach -- likes to talk about creating offense from your defense. That's all well and good, and I can appreciate that point, but here's the rub: Good teams don't let you score from their offense. Good teams take care of the ball. Good teams value possessions. So, when you run up against a good team that won't let you score off of their offensive mistakes, how will you handle it? Can you find a way to score without the benefit of the opponent's mistakes? That, to me, is a point that Illinois must prove as the season goes along.

--Next up: Thursday at Indiana, seemingly one of the more winnable road games on the schedule. This one could go either way and just might turn into another nail-biter like Sunday's. Two more evenly matched Big Ten teams. Ho hum.