2011-12 Year in Review

Women's Basketball

11-19 (5-11 Big Ten) // T-9th Place Big Ten

Illinois finished the season 11-19 and tied for ninth in the Big Ten with a 5-11 conference mark. The Illini won five of their last eight games of the regular season.

Junior guard Adrienne GodBold was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and Co-Defensive Player of the Year, as well as the Big Ten’s Sixth Player of the Year, and. She averaged 11.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game during conference play. In the last 11 games of the regular season, GodBold averaged 15.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game while shooting 56.4 percent from the field (62-110) and 79.5 percent (31-39) from the free-throw line. She raised her average from 5.9 to 9.6 points per game for the season in that span. In Big Ten games, GodBold ranked third in the league in field-goal percentage (.522), sixth in steals (2.3) and 15th in blocked shots (0.8). In overall games, she ranked 10th in the Big Ten in steals (1.9) and 14th in the league in blocked shots (1.0). GodBold scored 25 points at Purdue and 23 in the season finale at Wisconsin and had four other games of 16 points or better.

Junior forward Karisma Penn shared the Co-Defensive Player of the Year honor with GodBold. Penn earned Third Team All-Big Ten accolades after ranking third in blocked shots (2.1), fourth in field-goal percentage (.486), sixth in rebounding (7.2) and 15th in scoring (13.4) in the conference. She is steadily moving up several Illinois career statistical categories, ranking second in blocked shots (199), 10th in rebounds (726) and 14th in scoring (1,332) in Illinois history. She scored a season-high 26 points in a victory over Memphis and had 23-point games at Ohio State and Indiana. In that win over the Hoosiers, Penn also tallied six blocks and six steals.

Sophomore Kersten Magrum and freshman Ivory Crawford were named Co-Most Courageous. Magrum missed most of the 2010-11 season with a stress fracture in her right foot then was sidelined for much of the Big Ten season this year, battling concussion symptoms. She ranked second on the team in both scoring (11.4 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg) and led the club with an 81.7 free-throw percentage (67-82). Magrum had four 20-point scoring games, including a season-high 24 points and 12 rebounds vs. Oregon. Crawford started 23 games in her freshman campaign, averaging 6.6 points per game and tallying 28 assists and 29 steals. She had 16 points and seven rebounds in a 66-56 win at Illinois State on Dec. 7 and 15 points in a 68-56 victory over Montana State on Dec. 19. Crawford had her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 points against Nebraska on Jan. 29.

Sophomore Amber Moore earned the Coaches Award and the Ralf Wood Free Throw Award, which honors the top Illinois free-throw shooter in Big Ten play. Moore started 29 games, averaging 9.3 points per game. She ranked ninth in the Big Ten with 54 three-pointers. In just two seasons, Moore is up to fifth on the school's all-time career three-point list with 121. She exploded for a career-best 31 points in a late-season 69-57 victory over Northwestern on Feb. 20. In that game, Moore was 10-for-14 from the field and 5-of-7 from three-point range. She shot 82.6 percent from the line in Big Ten play.

Senior Lydia McCully earned the Iron Woman Award. She ranked third in the Big Ten in minutes played (36.3) and averaged 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. A four-year starter, McCully finished her career ranked fifth in school history in career assists with 384. She played 40 minutes, scored 12 points and dished out five assists in a 66-65 victory over No. 10 Ohio State.

Sophomore guard Centrese McGee was named Most Inspirational. McGee started all 32 games as a true freshman in 2010-11, but missed this season recovering from a torn ACL.

Sophomore forward Alexis Burke was named Most Improved. Burke started 12 games, raising her scoring average from 4.5 points per game in 2010-11 to 6.9 this season. She added 87 rebounds, 12 assists, 12 blocks and 18 steals on the year. Burke scored a career-high 26 points in just 20 minutes of action in a 61-50 victory over Clemson on Dec. 1 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.