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Flames get Butler in semifinals
BULLDOGS WHIP UWGB; DETROIT NIPS LOYOLA
(3/05/04)
The second-seeded Flames will play Butler, a surprisingly easy 72-50 winner over No. 3 seed Wisconsin-Green Bay in Friday night's second round game at Hinkle Fieldhouse, in Saturday's second semifinal.
UIC (22-7) defeated the Bulldogs twice in the regular season, including a 64-54 victory at the Pavilion a week ago and a 74-71 overtime win at Hinkle on Jan. 31.
"It's scary to think we might have to play Butler again, especially if it's at their place," UIC coach Jimmy Collins said last week.
And here are the No. 6 seed Bulldogs, raring to go, looking to block the Flames' path to the NCAA tournament and to extend their own season.
"UIC's gotten us twice this year," said Butler forward Mike Monserez, who scored 18 points in Friday's contest. "One was really, really close at our place, and last week, they beat us pretty badly, even though the score wouldn't indicate that."
While the Flames have won 10 straight games, the Bulldogs (16-13) haven't been far behind, winning eight of their last 10.
This Flames crew—Cedrick Banks, Martell Bailey and Armond Williams—has solid tournament experience, going 4-1 in Horizon League tournament play. Banks has scored in double-figures in all five games. He was the MVP of the 2002 tournament after sinking the game-winning basket against Loyola in UIC's 76-75 victory over crosstown Loyola.
Bailey has played two excellent games against Butler this season. He tallied a double-double of 13 points and 11 assists at Hinkle, and showed a more offensive side to his game with a career-high 22 points against the Bulldogs at the Pavilion.
"We have our hands full," Monserez said. "They have a number of different weapons. There's no more basketball for us if we don't come out hard [Saturday]."
Sophomore guard Avery Sheets definitely came out hard in Butler's first two Horizon tourney games. Sheets had 23 points against Green Bay Friday and 21 three days earlier against Youngstown State.
Freshman Nick Brooks, a Chicago Tribune Second-Team All-State selection at Robinson High last year, has also had a solid tournament. He had 21 points against Youngstown, and though he struggled from the field against UWGB, he had six rebounds and seven assists.
UIC has had experience against the Bulldogs in conference tournament action, including a 69-68 loss in the championship in 1997—Collins' first year as coach.
In Friday's contest, Butler fell behind 8-0 in the first 5:30 before Bruce Horan scored on a layup.
The Bulldogs were sloppy for most of the first half, but closed strong with an 8-0 run, which included back-to-back three-pointers by Monserez and Sheets' full-court dash and runner at the buzzer, giving Butler a 26-20 lead.
Green Bay (17-11) showed fight early in the second half, going ahead 30-29 on Kevin Hughes' 15-foot jumper with 14:50 left.
Sheets answered with back-to-back layups sandwiching a free throw, and the Bulldogs never trailed again.
Bruce Horan's three-pointer from the left wing with 4:06 left made the score 55-43, effectively finishing off the Phoenix.
Mike King's 12 points led UWGB, which shot just 35 percent from the field.
"This was a terrific team effort," said Butler coach Todd Lickliter, whose team shot 54 percent. "This win was very satisfying."
Saturday's game will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. Chicago time on Fox Sports Net. A tape-delayed readio broadcast will air on ESPN Radio 1000, following Bulls postgame.
Saturday's first semifinal between top-seeded Wisconsin-Milwaukee and No. 4 seed Detroit will be broadcast on FSN at 4:30 p.m.
DETROIT 60, LOYOLA 55: The No. 4 seed Titans held on for dear life in the final minute to advance to Saturday's semifinal with top-seeded Milwaukee and run their winning streak to 10 straight.
Ryvon Covile made two free throws with 31.7 seconds left to break a 55-55 tie and the Titans survived two three-point misses by Loyola's Paul McMillan.
After Ben Green split a pair of free throws to put Detroit ahead 58-55, McMillan rushed a shot from the left elbow and missed. James Thues made two free throws with 2.1 seconds left for the final margin.
DaJaun Gouard's layup with 2:21 left put Loyola up 55-54, but Thues' free throw on the Titans' next possession tied the game.
Jimmy Twyman scored a career-high 26 points and made 6-of-12 three-pointers to lead the Titans (19-10).
"Jimmy put us on his back and carried us, and Ryvon Covile was tremendous defensively," Detroit coach Perry Watson said. "They got us through a tough game that we would not have won earlier in the season."
McMillan scored 22 points and Gouard added nine points to lead Loyola (9-20), which clawed back from 12 points down late in the first half.
"It was a tough season," Loyola coach Larry Farmer said. "When you look at the number of losses we had, it would have been easy for us to let up and not work as hard as we did."
HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT RESULTS, SCHEDULE
TUESDAY, MARCH 2 OPENING ROUND
#4 Detroit 62, #9 Cleveland State 36
#8 Loyola 76, #5 Wright State 59
#6 Butler 88, #7 Youngstown State 57
FRIDAY, MARCH 5 2ND ROUND (at Butler)
#4 Detroit 60, #8 Loyola 55
#6 Butler 72, #3 Wisconsin-Green Bay 50
SATURDAY, MARCH 6 SEMIFINALS (at Butler)
#4 Detroit vs. #1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 4:30 p.m.
#6 Butler vs. #2 UIC, 7 p.m.
TUESDAY, MARCH 9 CHAMPIONSHIP (at Butler, UIC, or UWM)
Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.
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INDIANAPOLIS—UIC worked out in Chicago Friday before making the drive down and learning their semifinal opponent in the Horizon League tournament.