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March 9, 2003

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Brian Cook scored 22 points, six in a decisive 19-4 second-half run, and No. 14 Illinois beat Minnesota 84-60 Sunday, the Golden Gophers' fourth straight loss.

The Illini (21-6, 11-5 Big Ten) won their 17th straight home game and beat Minnesota (16-11, 8-8) for the 10th consecutive time.

Illinois led by nine points at halftime and was ahead 55-46 when sophomore Luther Head hit a 3-pointer to start the big run that made it 74-50 with 4:29 left.

Rick Rickert and Jerry Holman each had 12 points for Minnesota.

Roger Powell scored eight straight points for the Illini during the run and finished with 15, while Deron Williams had 11.

Cook, who entered the game averaging 20 points per game, finished as the league's leading scorer.

Illinois will be the second seed in this week's Big Ten tournament and could face the Gophers again Friday if Minnesota wins a first-round game against Northwestern.

Illinois shot 52 percent, including 7-of-19 from 3-point range. The Gophers shot 35 percent from the field.

Illinois built a six-point lead midway through the first half on the strength of three consecutive 3-pointers, two by Powell and the other from 7-footer Nick Smith. They built it to 27-17 with 7:02 remaining on two free throws by Powell.

The Illini went up by 40-29 with 46 seconds left in the half when Dee Brown set up Head for a dunk and the halftime lead was 40-31.

Cook was among six Illini seniors honored before the game. Guards Sean Harrington, Jerrance Howard and Nick Huge and forwards Blandon Ferguson and Clayton Thomas also played their final game at the Assembly Hall.