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UI women vs. Purdue,

4 p.m. Sunday

LINEUPS

PURDUE (14-12, 9-6)

Probable starters

P Name HT. YR. PPG

G Jodi Howell 5-11 Sr. 8.2

G Brittany Rayburn 6-0 So. 14.8

G FahKara Malone 5-3 Sr. 6.2

C Chelsea Jones 6-4 So. 6.5

F Samantha Woods 6-3 So. 5.5

Top reserves

G KK Houser 5-6 Fr. 5.9

F Sam Ostarello 6-2 Fr. 5.1

F Alex Guyton 6-3 So. 4.2

illinois (13-13, 5-11)

Probable starters

P Name HT. YR. PPG

G Lacey Simpson 6-1 Sr. 9.5

G Lydia McCully 5-9 So. 4.0

C Jenna Smith 6-3 Sr. 18.1

F Kersten Magrum 6-1 Fr. 3.3

F Karisma Penn 6-2 Fr. 10.8

Top reserves

G Fabiola Josil 5-9 So. 2.1

G Whitney Toone 5-10 Sr. 2.6

G Adrienne GodBold 5-11 Fr. 6.0

Facts & figures

Site: The Assembly Hall, Champaign.

Radio: Dave Loane and Mike Koon call the action on WDWS 1400-AM and WDAN 1490-AM.

TV: Big Ten Network. Tracy Warren handles the play-by-play, and Vera Jones provides the expert analysis.

Series: Purdue leads 45-16, including a 17-11 advantage in Champaign. Overall, Purdue has won 39 of the last 43 meetings dating to 1987.

Coaches: Sharon Versyp (89-44 in fourth season at Purdue; 206-109 in 10th season overall); Jolette Law (43-49 in third season at Illinois and overall).

Storylines

1

A festive day

Today is the UI's "Pack the Hall" promotion. Admission and parking are free in an attempt to get as many fans in the building as possible for Senior Day, which honors Whitney Toone, Lacey Simpson and Jenna Smith. All seating will be general admission, and doors open to season ticket-holders at 2:30 p.m. It's 3 p.m. for everyone else. The first 500 fans wearing orange receive a $5 gift card for the Illini Apple Store. One fan will win a flat-screen TV. Players and coaches will be available for autographs after the game. A year ago, the Pack the Hall attendance was announced as 7,052.

2

Lacey's legacy

Simpson will be remembered as one of the most complete players in Illinois history. Heading into today's game, she ranks first in games played (127), first in career steals (337), third in career blocks (154), third in career assists (424), fifth in career rebounds (844) and 20th in career points (1,084). Only four players in Big Ten history have collected more steals than the Zion-Benton product, and Simpson has a shot to catch No. 4 on that list (Kristin Haynie, 346) by season's end. Not bad for someone who wasn't highly sought-after when coming out of high school.

3

A star of stars

Smith's final appearance at the Hall figures to be a celebration of a sensational career. She owns six Illinois career records, including rebounds (1,111) and blocks (209). She needs 75 points to break Ashley Berggren's scoring record. And she's only the third Big Ten player to collect more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Though it's a long shot unless Illinois reaches postseason play, Smith has a chance to become the second player in Big Ten history (with Jessica Davenport) to finish in the top 10 of the league's career scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking lists. She's currently 13th in scoring, sixth in rebounding and 12th in blocks.

Prediction

PURDUE 54, ILLINOIS 49

It's always difficult to forecast how a team will respond on its Senior Day, and this one is especially tricky because of the stature of Smith and Simpson. Purdue is fighting for the runner-up spot in the Big Ten, so it should be sufficiently prepared. The first meeting between these teams was remarkably ugly, and this one might be, too. The Boilermakers have been awful on the road for much of the season, but they continue to have Illinois' number. (News-Gazette prediction record: 17-9)