CHAMPAIGN  Opponents beware. Tauja Catchings, that defender extraordinaire, has stepped up her offensive game since last basketball season.

   Now, if only the sophomore forward can remember to step up onto that raised court the next time the University of Illinois women''s team visits the Assembly Hall.

   "This has been a tough day for Tauja," joked Illini coach Theresa Grentz after Catchings stumbled while running from the tunnel onto the court before Wednesday night''s Orange and Blue Scrimmage.

   It''s a wonder, perhaps, that Catchings wasn''t the only one. During the team introductions, the place was darkened except for a spotlight, and a plume of smoke was added to the mix.

   "Couldn''t see anything," Catchings said in her defense.

   As it turned out, that was her only misstep of the night. Besides being her usual harassing self on defense, Catchings virtually was unstoppable on the other end of the court. Shooting 8 of 10 from the field, she led all scorers with 16 points as her Orange team defeated the White squad 39-33.

   "She told me she practiced her shooting in the summer," Grentz said. "She had something to show us. I just think she''s more comfortable."

   More conscious, too, of trying to contribute more on offense after averaging 8.7 points and shooting 42.3 percent from the field last season.

   "Last year I focused more on defense," said the UI''s defensive player of the year. "I know this year we want to go farther and win it all, so I''m going to do whatever it takes to get there."

   Like spending the past summer putting in hour after hour of work on her shooting.

   "I wanted to step my game up, and I know that''s an area that I definitely can use a lot of help," Catchings said. "We played pretty much every day at IMPE with a lot of guys. Then my boyfriend and I went and shot around a lot at night. He''d rebound for me and just pass and pass and pass, so I got a lot of shots."

   Teammate Ashley Berggren, involved in those IMPE pickup games, can vouch for the work Catchings put in.

   "This summer she truly worked on her game, and I think that was something that was new to her," Berggren said. "She never had to work in high school, and she made a commitment. Tauja will be an offensive threat."