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Round 3: Flames vs. Ramblers
WINNER GETS TOP-SEED UWM
(3/3/05)
Friday night’s Horizon League quarterfinal game at the U.S. Cellular Arena features two teams trying to prove a point.
The Flames and the Ramblers meet for the third time this season with the teams splitting their regular-season contests, each winning on the other’s home court. UIC handled Cleveland State 84-65 in the first-round contest at the UIC Pavilion on Tuesday, while Loyola held off Youngstown State 78-75 at the Gentile Center.
The winner of this version of the crosstown showdown meets top-seeded Wisconsin-Milwaukee (22-5) in Saturday’s semifinals.
“I think Loyola is doing a great job,” UIC coach Jimmy Collins said. “They’re hungry. They’re a lot like us three years ago, they see the light at the end of the tunnel and they just going to get better.”
First-year Loyola coach Jim Whitesell knew his team would take some lumps early and the Ramblers did, losing big at North Carolina and Western Illinois. But some of the seeds of success were planted when the Ramblers played a bunch of close games against the likes of Oral Roberts and Illinois State.
The Ramblers have started to gel upon the return of senior guard DaJaun Gouard from a December knee injury. The Danville product has averaged 16.8 points per game in a 9-4 run down the stretch and given the team life with penetration to the basket.
Sophomore Blake Schilb, at 6-foot-7, is a tough cover. He handles the ball like a point guard, can shoot from inside or outside, and can bang around in the post as needed. Schilb was a First-Team All-Horizon performer, averaging 17.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
Lanky sophomore guard Majak Kou is a bundle of energy off the bench. He’s not afraid to take a shot from anywhere on the court. He averages 10.6 points and shoots 37 percent from three-point range, and his long arms and quickness on defense can give offensive players fits. The only drawback to Kou’s play is that he can get a little too emotional for his own good.
Six-foot-11 sophomore center Tyrelle Blair is rapidly developing as a post force. While his offensive game probably still needs improvement, his defensive abilities can alter any looks in the point.
Loyola also had solid role players in freshman forward Tom Levin, junior guard Chris Logan and senior forward Anthony Smith.
The Flames have last month’s loss to the feisty Ramblers still fresh in their minds. UIC junior forward Elliott Poole displayed his own act of bravado, basically guaranteeing a Flames victory.
Collins covered his head, fearing Poole (pictured) was giving the Ramblers ammunition.
“I always like my guys to set goals that are high,” Collins said. “Loyola’s playing very well right now. With his goals that high, I’m confident he’ll come out with the intensity we need from him.”
After the press conference, Banks told Poole, “I got your back.”
Banks can give Poole plenty of support as the senior guard leads the Horizon League in scoring at 18.5 points per game. He’s been especially hot lately, averaging 30.0 points in his last three games. Banks has averaged 20.7 points per game and has shot 49 percent from the field in nine games against Loyola.
Williams and Poole are bruisers inside, averaging 10.4 and 9.6 points respectively. Williams leads the team in rebounding at 6.4, while Poole grabs 5.6 per contest.
Freshman guard Karl White has been one of the hottest Flames of late. Collins inserted him in the starting lineup recently and the Omaha, Neb. native hasn’t disappointed, averaging 12.0 points, 5.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds in his last three games. He also had four steals in UIC’s win over Cleveland State.
UIC has dominated the series, winning 22 of 31 games all-time and 10 of the last 12 contests, but Loyola snapped a 13-game losing streak at the Pavilion in the teams’ last meeting.
The only other time the two teams met in conference tournament play was a memorable one. Banks hit the game-winning jumper with 5 seconds left in overtime as UIC nipped Loyola 76-75 in the 2002 championship game at Cleveland State’s Wolstein Center.
The game tips off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast with UIC’s announce team on www.espnradio1000.com and also live on Loyola’s broadcast station, WIND-AM 560.
TUESDAY, MARCH 1 OPENING ROUND
#4 Loyola 78, #9 Youngstown State 75
#5 UIC 84, #8 Cleveland State 65
#6 Wright State 61, #7 Butler 57
FRIDAY, MARCH 4 2ND ROUND (at U.S. Cellular Arena, Milwaukee)
#6 Wright State vs. #3 Detroit, 4:30 p.m.
#4 Loyola vs. #5 UIC, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, MARCH 5 SEMIFINALS (at U.S. Cellular Arena, Milwaukee)
WSU-Detroit winner vs. #2 Wisconsin-Green Bay, 4:30 p.m.
Loyola- UIC winner vs. #1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
TUESDAY, MARCH 8 CHAMPIONSHIP (at highest seed)
Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.
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The veteran UIC Flames (15-13) want to put this season’s struggles past them and run the table to a second consecutive Horizon League championship, while the young Loyola Ramblers (12-16) want to continue building a solid foundation and aim to became a force in the conference for years to come.
With a 91-85 victory over UIC at the Pavilion on Feb. 17, the Ramblers showed a confidence and a swagger that had been missing for quite awhile at Loyola. The Ramblers have won five straight coming into Friday’s game.
“I was disappointed in our last performance against Loyola,” said Poole in UIC’s press conference after the Cleveland State game. “I heard that they were looking forward to this, because they beat us the last game. Personally, I want to take responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen again. I don’t want our seniors, Armond Williams and Cedrick Banks to go out with a loss, especially to Loyola.”
HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS