Williams gets his revenge

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Frank Williams' last two games against IU were ones he'd rather forget. Half of his final season at Illinois has been far from storybook. \nThe 6-foot-3 point guard has been under the scrutiny of the media, fans and his coach and had the struggles of his team pinned on his back. \nThe Fighting Illini are back, and so is Williams. \nHe won't forget Tuesday. \nWilliams, who played his final home game for Illinois and will leave for the NBA Draft this summer, buried his naysayers under a game-high 24 points, six rebounds and three assists and knocked No. 25 IU into its first two-game losing streak since mid-December with a 70-62 Fighting Illini victory, something No. 15 Illinois hadn't done in its previous two games against IU. \n"It was big to just play against Indiana," Williams said. "The name of the game, Illinois versus Indiana. We knew they kicked us pretty hard, and we didn't feel that again."\nWilliams' last two games against IU didn't produce much of a box score. He went 9 of 29 in the two losses, scored 28 points and tallied only six assists. Tuesday, he hit 8 of 19 from the field and scored nine of Illinois' 10 points during an 18-10 IU run that enabled the Hoosiers to draw within two points with 3:09 remaining. \nWilliams' ability to drive, create and hit free throws kept the Illini (22-7, 10-5 Big Ten) in front and drained IU's (18-10, 10-5) momentum.\n"He stepped up another level," junior guard Kyle Hornsby said. "He really wanted this game and we did too, but we couldn't take it from him."\nAnd not only in the second half. Williams helped the Illini fight a slow start by scoring nine of the first 13 points. He hit a fancy reverse layup, a three pointer from the top of the key and free throws, displaying his shooting ability and slick moves from all over the court. \nThen Williams scored six of the Illini's final 12 points to help Illinois to a 36-24 lead, the largest deficit IU has faced at the break all season. It was also only the sixth time IU trailed at the half; the Hoosiers are now 2-4 when trailing at halftime. \n"Frank showed some toughness," Illinois coach Bill Self said. "I don't know if I've been around a college player that's taken more heat. He's responded like a man should respond."\nThe same Self lightly scolded Williams earlier in the season, saying he didn't play hard at all times. Williams has complained this season that he has been playing tired and hasn't had the same energy he displayed in winning the Big Ten Player of the Year honors a season ago. \nTuesday, that all seemed a distant memory. \nWilliams shuffled by all three IU guards and got two of the three in foul trouble. Junior Tom Coverdale picked up three first-half fouls, and senior Dane Fife played the final eight minutes with four.\n"It really hurt us because Coverdale is the only guy who can handle the basketball," IU coach Mike Davis said.\nCoverdale and Fife each spent time defending Williams in the previous two games against Illinois, but that blanketing defense vanished Tuesday. \nIU's impressions of Williams, who likely stirred support for a second consecutive Player of the Year award, haven't. \n"He's never in a hurry," Hornsby said. "People were badmouthing him early in the season saying he didn't play hard. Maybe sometimes he wasn't but he never plays in a hurry, and that's one of his keys. He played really well."\nWell enough to avenge IU's 31-point beating and 17 three pointers in Bloomington Jan. 26. Now, Illinois has a shot at its second consecutive Big Ten crown. And Williams is primarily to thank. \n"Our mentality was to come out and get them back and get the last laugh," Williams said. \n"We played with a lot more passion, heart and character"