If the game of basketball was won and lost solely on shots that didn't go in the rim, the Penn State women's basketball team would have been OK.

Before the game, the statistic that Penn State women's basketball head coach Rene Portland wanted to see improved the most was the number of grabs off the miss for the Lady Lions -- especially against Illinois' three-forward offense.

"They are major rebounders," Portland said before the game to the Penn State Sports Network. "We're last in the league. The only thing on my mind is rebounding."

She was granted her wish at halftime, with a 23 to 21 edge on the glass for Penn State, including 10 offensive rebounds. Yet a 16-0 first half run by Illinois combined a shooting percentage of 32 percent doomed the Lady Lions (7-9, 1-4 Big Ten) against the Illini (11-4, 3-1), as Penn State lost 66-57 in Champaign.

Penn State finished on top of the rebounding battle, 45 to 41, as three players notched nine rebounds, including junior forward Charity Renfro and co-captains Amanda Brown and Kamela Gissendanner.

"We did a good job on the boards," Portland said after the game on the Penn State Sports Network. "We just didn't convert. We were dying."

Both captains lead the team, literally, on the stat sheet. Gissendanner produced 18 points, a game-high, while battling Illinois' three forwards. Brown also chipped in 16 points in 28 minutes, including four blocks that put the junior over 100 for her career.

As has often been the case this season, Brown was on the bench much of the game because of foul trouble.

The Lady Lions' regular season leader in scoring would eventually foul out of the game for the sixth time this season.

"We've seen this all year," Portland said. "Her heart was in the right place."

Portland spoke before the game about the match-up problems with Illinois and her words proved to be prophetic when the game opened with a miss by Illinois forward Danyel Crutcher, who then snatched the offensive rebound away from Brown to eventually deposit the first points of the game.

Starting the second half down 36-26, Portland even flirted with using four guards on the floor, putting out freshmen Brianne O'Rourke and Mashea Williams along with Gissendanner and sophomore Adrienne Squire.

Despite the match-up problems down low, Illini senior guard Janelle Hughes proved to be the most lethal to the Lady Lions in the first half.

Hughes finished with 15 points, hitting all three of her treys in the first half.

Combined, Illinois shot 6 for 11 from behind the arch, while Penn State shot a dismal 2 for 17 from three.

"Offensively we're struggling," Portland said. "We're getting the shots, we're just not putting it in the basket."