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Season in review: Flames take roller coaster ride
A LOOK BACK AT THE 2005-06 SEASON
(5/30/06)
Part two of a three-part series, looking back at the season and peeking ahead to next season. This installment looks at UIC’s topsy-turvy 2005-06 season.
It’s Feb. 15, 2006 and the young UIC Flames are in the midst of controversy and adversity in the front of a partisan crowd in downtown Milwaukee.
Check your watches … it’s about 9 p.m. and the host Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers, winners of 19 straight on its home court, U.S. Cellular Arena, have made a miraculous comeback in the final seconds of regulation and have forced overtime.
What’s worse? The Flames face a major dilemma. Their top two players, Justin Bowen and Othyus Jeffers, have fouled out of the game. Chalk up another win for the Panthers, right?
Josh Mayo, speaking after the OT victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Feb. 15, provided a clutch performance to beat the Panthers. Bond scored on a layup, beating Milwaukee’s trademark press, to give the Flames the lead late in overtime. Then UIC’s babyfaced assassin, Mayo, drilled a dagger – a three-pointer that gave the Flames an 88-84 lead with 45 seconds left.
The victory was the pinnacle of a crazy season for a Flames team in transition and it came in the midst of a strong finishing push that, hopefully, will carry momentum into the 2006-07 season.
NORTH TO ALASKA: Losing Cedrick Banks and Armond Williams wasn’t going to be easy and it showed in UIC’s two exhibition contests.
The Flames had to rally to defeat NAIA powerhouse Robert Morris in the first game, 74-71. Then UIC ran out to a 13-point lead against Division II St. Joseph’s of Rensselaer, Ind., but ended blowing that lead and losing 74-73, previewing what was going to be a wild and wacky season ahead.
Senior Justin Bowen was solid on the scoresheet all year for the Flames. He stepped up at the start of the season. Many thought that sophomore White was going to slip right in as the starter at the shooting guard spot against Montana State, but UIC coach Jimmy Collins inserted Robert Bush into a retooled lineup which included Bowen, Jeffers and Zoric in the frontcourt and Bush and D.J. Smedley in the backcourt.
Bush had a career-high game of 16 points as he helped the Flames to a solid opening win against Montana State, 69-64. The 6-foot-4 Bush looked like he was going to be fixture in the UIC lineup as he drilled the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:44 to play. The victory allowed the Flames to advance in the winner’s bracket to face a strong challenge from San Diego State in the semifinals.
Collins faced former Big Ten rival and Michigan coach Steve Fisher, but the coaching battle took a back seat to another impressive Flames performance. UIC fought hard against the Aztecs’ stars Marcus Slaughter and Brandon Heath and pulled out a clutch 66-63 victory against a team that became WAC champions and should have beaten Indiana in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Now, UIC was off to the championship game. No one believed that the Flames, after struggling in exhibition play, would have a chance to start the season 3-0.
It wasn’t to be, however. The Flames were stifled by Denver and 6-foot-11 center Yemi Nicholson in the championship game. UIC struggled to hit a shot as it finished at 26 percent from the field and its perimeter game was non-existent. Denver took the title 52-48 in an overtime defensive battle. Overtime would become theme for the “in-transition” Flames.
The 2-1 start was looking pretty good as UIC headed back to Chicago.
WHACKY NON-CONFERENCE: The Flames scheduled a “buffer game,” a contest where UIC would play at home after its long trip to Alaska and before its two-game road trip to Georgia, where it would face Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern.
The home cooking, however, was lukewarm at best. Chicago’s own Southwest-side St. Xavier Cougars were rude guests and made the hosts look like twice-warmed-over leftovers. In what would be the first of many head-scratchers in non-conference play, the Flames sleepwalked in the opening half and the NAIA school was tasting blood, rolling out to a 14-point first-half lead.
UIC came back with a full-court press to take the lead late in the game, but St. Xavier hit a home-run pass and Jason Reiter sank a layup with 28.9 seconds left to give the Cougars a monumental 74-73 upset.
The Flames left the Pavilion to get ready for a Thanksgiving Day flight to Atlanta and a post-holiday game with Georgia Tech. You want weird? Things are just getting started. …
Just 48 hours after losing at home to St. Xavier, get this … UIC whips Georgia Tech 73-51 in Atlanta. With Smedley and White out with injuries, Mayo had a breakout game, scoring 21 points in his first career start.
Even with the Yellow Jackets threatening a comeback, Mayo, along with Bowen, Stefanov, Elliott Poole and Bush, kept them at bay. Mayo was key in breaking the Georgia Tech and led the Flames on a 9-0 run, which Bush capped with a three-pointer with 6 minutes to play to extend UIC’s lead to double digits.
It was a rare embarrassing home loss for Tech coach Paul Hewitt. For just the third time in his six years at the school, the Yellow Jackets lost a game by 20 or more points at home. The other two occurrences? Some school called Duke.
The joy of their historic first victory over an ACC school would last all of three days until the Flames ran into Georgia Southern. The Eagles and mighty-mite, 5-foot-10 Elton Nesbitt took some revenge for the 2005 Bracket Buster game, handing UIC a 20-point loss.
The long, strange journey continued when UIC hosted Chicago State on Dec. 4 at the Pavilion. A 19-point second-half lead disappeared when UIC couldn’t handle the Cougars’ press and another little guy, 5-foot-9 Royce Parran carved up the Flames. Parran scored 37 points and dished out the game-winning assist on Kevin Jones Jr.’s three-point basket with 12.2 seconds left as Chicago State pulled out a 75-74 win.
The Flames took the week off for exams before an old friend paid a visit to the Pavilion six days later. Former UIC player and assistant coach Tracy Dildy made the trip to Chicago with Mississippi for a high-profile game on Dec. 10.
When Ole Miss grabbed a 60-48 lead with 7:30 to play, UIC was staring at a 0-3 start at home for the first time in the Collins era. Then the Flames clawed back with Mayo once again playing like a veteran, sinking a three-pointer with 29.3 seconds left in regulation to forge a 67-67 tie.
The game then went to overtime, where the Flames claimed the first of five OT victories on the season. Mayo drilled a 25-footer with 3:09 to play in the extra session to give UIC the lead for good as the Flames outscored the Rebels 20-8 in OT.
The victory over Ole Miss began a three-game winning streak. Then UIC traveled to Evanston in the final game of a three-game contract with the Wildcats. The Flames made a perfect 3-for-3 with another solid effort at Welsh-Ryan Arena in a 71-62 victory. Despite an aching back, Bowen scored 20 points in the second half, helping to close out the win.
The Huskies of Northern Illinois came to town on Dec. 17 and Poole’s stickback in the final seconds gave UIC a 55-54 win in a defensive struggle.
Riding a three-game winning streak, UIC traveled to Upstate New York to Collins’ original hometown of Syracuse. The Orange of coach Jim Boeheim held the Flames to 33 percent shooting as Syracuse recorded a 75-61 win. Despite the 14-point loss, the Flames fought hard and never quit.
After an eight-day break for Christmas, the Flames hosted Davidson at the Pavilion. UIC took out the Southern Conference champions, 76-67, behind another strong game from Bowen. The 6-foot-7 senior hit a 12-foot jumper and slammed home two dunks in a 25-second span, leading an 11-0 UIC run. The victory ran the Flames’ record to 7-5 and they had wins in four of their last five as the Horizon League season approached.
FIRST-HALF HOLE: The Flames were in a partying mood on New Year’s Eve as Youngstown State came to the Pavilion in the Horizon League opener. However, after 45 minutes of grueling basketball, Collins was in no mood to pop the corks.
It took a last-second miss in overtime from YSU’s star guard Quin Humphrey to secure the Flames’ 85-84 victory over the Penguins. Humphrey, however, did plenty of damage to the Flames’ psyche with 33 points on a variety of shots, inside and out.
Othyus Jeffers hit the game-winning shot against Youngstown State, but the Flames endured some tough times soon thereafter. UIC opened 2006 with a bus trip to Indianapolis and a big game at Hinkle Fieldhouse with Butler. Early on, it seemed the Flames left their defense on the bus as the Bulldogs opened a 16-6 lead.
But that wasn’t the story of the game. During the first media timeout, Bowen and Collins had a heated exchange with the coach sending the player to the end of the bench for much of the remainder of the contest.
Butler blew out the Flames 75-56, but the really bad news was just around the corner.
Horizon League champion Wisconsin-Milwaukee invaded the Pavilion on Jan. 5 and Collins had just learned that his Flames would not be at full strength.
Poole was declared academically ineligible just before the game and was lost for the season. That combined with Collins’ benching of Bowen to start the game was not a good combination.
The Flames were even flatter than in Indianapolis as the Panthers walked away with a 68-45 victory, giving them losses against the conference’s two best teams.
Life without Poole had just began and it would take even more time to adjust without the 6-foot-7, 255-pound interior presence.
The Flames fought hard on Jan. 11, but lost a heartbreaker to Wisconsin-Green Bay, 90-84, in overtime. The Phoenix’s Ryan Evanochko couldn’t be stopped as he scored 30 points.
UIC rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to force the extra session with three Mayo free throws with 8.7 seconds in regulation. Despite the comeback, victory continued to be elusive.
Up next was the Flames’ rivalry game with Loyola on Jan. 15. Like the Bears, who looked listless for a good part of their NFC playoff game with the Carolina Panthers, the Flames appeared meek in the Gentile Center. The Ramblers’ Blake Schilb and Majak Kou had their way, combining for 48 points, in a 75-61 Loyola win. The loss dropped UIC’s record to 1-4 in the league.
In what many thought would be the end of UIC’s misery, a home game with Cleveland State on Jan. 19 turned out to be bitter medicine. The Vikings claimed an 87-83 triumph and the Flames were entrenched in last place of the Horizon League.
The Flames’ remedy wasn’t coming two days later either – not with a visit to Detroit’s Calihan Hall. UIC didn’t play terribly, but the Titans were just a little better. Detroit’s star Brandon Cotton scored 24 points as the Titans held a double-digit lead for most of the second half.
The Flames’ losing streak had reached six and the record had dropped to 8-11 overall and 1-6 in the Horizon. It couldn’t get worse, could it?
SECOND-HALF RISE: UIC closed the first half of the conference season with a visit to the Nutter Center for a game with Wright State. The recurring theme was starting to settle in as the Raiders took control with a 15-point lead early in the second half.
Then coach Jimmy Collins resorted to a tactic, which he called at the time “desperate.” He employed a full-court trap defense and put the 6-foot-9 Stefanov on the top, guarding WSU’s star DaShaun Wood. What happened in a matter of moments was nothing short of remarkable.
The Raiders could not solve the pressure and the Flames kept chipping away. Eventually, UIC took the lead on a three-pointer by Stefanov. UIC then slammed the door and closed out the 62-57 victory.
“It’s very tough keep the team up in a skid like this,” said Collins after that game. “Heck, it’s tough for me to stay up, but we’ve got good kids. We don’t beat them down. We’re continuing to preach staying positive.”
The positive vibe showed itself back at the Pavilion on Jan. 28 when the Flames played one of the best games of the conference season in obtaining revenge on Wisconsin-Green Bay, 81-68. Bond scored a career-high 11 points in the first half to ignite the Flames, who won their second straight.
UIC was thinking winning streak and revenge when Butler paid a visit to town two nights later. Those thoughts disappeared about as quickly as Bruce Horan’s release. Horan was 7-of-8 from three-point range in the first half as the Bulldogs embarrassed the Flames 67-39. UIC fell to 10-12, 3-7 with one month to play.
Earlier in the season when a humbling loss would put the Flames in a funk but UIC changed its attitude on Feb. 2 at Youngstown State. While the Penguins put up a tough fight as they usually do at the Beeghly Center, once again UIC found a way to win, 70-63, leading much of the game. Zoric was key with a career-high 19 points and was beginning to give the Flames a potent offensive threat in the post.
UIC maintained its upswing with a 63-57 victory over Detroit at the Pavilion in front an ESPN2 audience. Mayo hit the tiebreaking layup with under 2 minutes left to lift the Flames.
The Flames looked to keep up the momentum, but crosstown Loyola, a team UIC once dominated, defeated the Flames for the fourth straight time, 71-68 at the Pavilion on Feb. 11.
However, UIC, sitting at 5-8 in league play, was looking at a rough road ahead in the season’s final weeks.
With nothing to lose, the Flames headed to Milwaukee for a game with the archrival Panthers on Feb. 15. UIC did not back down from a physical and aggressive Panthers squad. Even UWM’s trademark press caused some problems, the Flames did well attacking the pressure and taking the ball to the hoop.
Mayo scored on a fadeaway jumper with 22 seconds left in regulation to give UIC a 75-73 lead. Bowen split a pair of free throws moments later, but some controversial officiating allowed Milwaukee’s Allan Hanson to tie the game on free throws in the final second, forcing overtime.
Bowen and Jeffers were disqualified with five fouls and UIC had to rely on a young lineup in the extra session. In those five grueling minutes, the Flames grew up.
“It gives us hope,” Mayo said after the game. “It could be a stepping stone to beat a team like Milwaukee with such a young team. Now we think we can compete with anyone.”
UIC took a break from Horizon League play with a road game in the Bracket Buster game against Murray State. The Flames fought to the final buzzer with a quality team that won the Ohio Valley championship and played in the NCAA tournament.
Mayo scored a career-best 23 points, but the Racers pulled out the victory in the final minute.
UIC continued its strong finishing kick with an overtime 72-67 win at Cleveland State on Feb. 22. The Flames trailed by 14 early in the second half but did not quit. In OT, Jeffers scored six points to seal the victory.
UIC coach Jimmy Collins found a secret weapon down the stretch in senior guard Rocky Collum (left). UIC, on Senior Day, was led by senior guard Collum, whose career was limited by injury. But on this magical day, the Flames found a secret weapon in Collum, who had 12 points.
However, for the seventh time in this season, the Flames needed overtime. Jeffers scored on an offensive rebound with 23.9 seconds left in the game and UIC held off a late Raiders flurry for a 69-66 victory to complete the regular season at 15-14 overall and 8-8 in the conference.
LEAGUE TOURNAMENT: Ironically enough, with the No. 6 seed, the Flames had to face Wright State again three days later in the opening round of the Horizon League tournament at the Pavilion.
Collum provided a career-high 21 points on 6-of-6 shooting, including five three-point baskets as the Flames eliminated the road-weary Raiders, 77-64. UIC led by 20 at one point, but WSU made an incredible rally to pull within a point with just under 3 minutes to play. The Flames then scored the final 12 points to end the Raiders’ season and advance to quarterfinal/semifinal weekend in Milwaukee.
Awaiting UIC was No. 3 seed Wisconsin-Green Bay, whom the Flames split with during the regular season.
The Flames started well, taking a 13-6 lead and looking confident, but the Phoenix rallied with a three-point barrage that eventually buried UIC. Green Bay led 38-29 and held a double-digit for much of the second half.
With UIC within 69-61 with 2:15 left, Green Bay’s Ryan Tillema nailed a three-pointer with Zoric in his face to effectively put the game out of reach. The final seconds ticked off with the Flames on the negative end of a 76-66 score.
Junior forward Jovan Stefanov played many roles with the 2005-06 Flames, but it was his hard work and good attitude that helped the team finish strong. The Flames will return four starters, including Stefanov, Zoric, Jeffers and Mayo, plus key role players White, Bond and Bush. UIC also adds solid freshman point guard Spencer Stewart and post transfers, Jermaine Dailey and Scott VanderMeer, who should solidify the Flames’ post defense.
“I’m definitely looking forward to next season,” said Stefanov after UIC’s final game in the Horizon League tournament. “We can build on what we did this year. Outside of that six-game losing streak, we were pretty competitive and we’ll definitely build on that next year.”
FLAMES NON-CONFERENCE WRAP-UP
Robert Morris (exhibition): UIC won 74-71. The Eagles finished 31-4 and advanced to the NAIA Final Four.
St. Joseph’s (Ind.) (exhibition): UIC lost 74-73. The Division II Pumas were 31-3 on advanced to the Great Lakes Regional semifinals.
Montana State (TOWC): UIC won 69-64. The Bobcats were 15-15 overall and 7-7 in the Big Sky and finished fourth in the conference, losing in the first round of the conference tournament.
San Diego State (TOWC): UIC won 66-63. The Aztecs put up an impressive season under former Michigan coach Steve Fisher. SDSU finished 24-9 overall and 13-3 in the Mountain West. They were regular-season and conference tournament champs. The Aztecs lost an 87-83 heartbreaker to Indiana in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Denver (TOWC finals): UIC lost 52-48 (OT). The Pioneers were 16-15 overall and 7-8 in the Sun Belt and were tied for second in the Sun Belt West Division. They lost to eventual NCAA entrant South Alabama in the conference tournament.
St. Xavier: UIC lost 74-73. The Cougars had another strong season, finishing 21-12 overall and qualifying for the NAIA national tournament.
Georgia Tech: UIC won 73-51. The Yellow Jackets, stung by the loss of several top players, were 11-17 overall and 4-12 in the ACC, finishing tied for 10th out of 12 teams. UIC was the only non-conference team to win at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
Georgia Southern: UIC lost 89-69. The Eagles were 20-10 overall and 11-4 in the Southern Conference. They were the regular-season champions in the South Division of the SoCon, but lost in the conference tournament semifinals. Then they lost to Charlotte in the first round of the NIT.
Chicago State: UIC lost 75-74. The Cougars’ win over the Flames was their only non-conference road win of the season. CSU was 11-19 overall and 8-8 in league play, finishing tied for fourth place in the Mid-Continent. They lost to Oral Roberts in the Mid-Con tournament finals.
Mississippi: UIC won 87-75 (OT). The Rebels were 14-16 overall and 4-12 in the SEC West, tied for fifth and last. After starting 3-0 in league play, Ole Miss lost 13 of its final 14 contests. They fell to Kentucky in the first round of the SEC tournament.
Northwestern: UIC won 71-62. The Wildcats were 14-15 overall and 6-10 in the Big Ten (tied for eighth with Penn State). NU lost to Penn State in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament. UIC was the only non-conference team to win at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Northern Illinois: UIC won 55-54. The Huskies were 17-11 overall and 12-6 in the MAC West and were division champions. They lost to Toledo in the MAC tournament quarterfinals.
Syracuse: UIC lost 75-61. The Orange was 23-12 overall and 7-9 in the Big East, but it went on a miraculous run to win the Big East tournament title. Texas A&M defeated Syracuse 66-58 in the first round of NCAA tournament.
Davidson: UIC won 76-67. The Wildcats were 20-11 overall and 10-5 in the Southern Conference. While they finished second in the SoCon South Division, they won the tournament championship and automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Davidson lost to Ohio State 70-62 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Murray State (BracketBuster): UIC lost 72-68. The Racers were 24-7 overall and 17-3 in Ohio Valley play and were regular-season champs. They then defeated Samford in the conference championship game. They lost a close game to defending National Champion North Carolina 69-65 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
UIC vs. NCAA teams: 3-3 (Davidson 1-0, San Diego State 1-0, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1-1, Murray State 0-1, Syracuse 0-1)
UIC vs. NIT teams: 0-3 (Georgia Southern 0-1, Butler 0-2)
STILL TO COME: WhooshNet! is working on several stories for the upcoming weeks. We’ll take a look at former Flame Kenny Williams in his new job as the head coach of the Chicago Rockstars of the ABA. … Also, we’ll update you on a former Flame who has professional aspirations … Finally, we’ll have part 3 of the season in-review series, which will also look ahead.
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