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Spiritless Flames sputter
UWGB SHOWS GRIT
(2/15/05)
The host Flames were a little too accommodating as the Phoenix shot at its leisure as UWGB claimed a 78-66 victory over UIC.
The Flames’ loss means they can finish no higher than third in the Horizon League standings, while Green Bay bounced back from an 80-64 loss to Loyola two days earlier.
The Phoenix had 21 assists on 27 field goals and buried 10-of-18 shots (56 percent) from three-point range in an exhibition that made UIC look a step slow.
“We drove and kicked,” said Green Bay guard Matt Rohde, who had 16 points and three assists “We’re very unselfish. We got good looks for the threes, because of the way we moved the ball.”
Javier Mendiburu led the way for Green Bay (17-7, 10-4) with 13 assists and 12 points. Forward Benito Flores scored a game-high 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while Brandon Morris added 19 points – including 4-of-5 from three-point range.
“We struggled with our help and recover,” UIC coach Jimmy Collins said. “We struggled with our defense and rebounding. One time Mendiburu got the ball at halfcourt and drove all the way down. That was discouraging.”
Morris nailed his first three-pointer to give the Phoenix a 9-8 lead and helped UWGB build a 24-15 advantage.
“When we got to 29-29, I thought we were in the game,” Collins said. “Then [Green Bay] got almost all the loose balls and rebounds. They made us panic. We lost our courage. Guys threw in the towel—they just quit.”
Morris also had something to do with the Phoenix reassuming control late in the first half. He hit two more three-point baskets in half-closing 17-5 run.
“We weren’t surprised by Morris,” White said. “He hit two threes early and he gave them energy and got their momentum going.”
Rohde hit a three from NBA range with just over 2 seconds left in the half for a 46-34 Green Bay advantage.
The Flames tried to make a charge in the second half. After Flores scored inside to put UWGB ahead 53-37 with 16:21 left, UIC started using a pressure defense, which turned into a quick 6-0 run, capped by Justin Bowen’s layup and making the score 53-43 with 14:49 to go.
However, the Flames went cold as the Phoenix went on a 13-2 spurt to open a 66-45 lead on Josh Lawrence’s jumper with 8:54 to play.
Green Bay shot 50 percent from the field overall. Phoenix coach Tod Kowalczyk said that his team was especially pumped to play the Flames.
“UIC is a program we look up to,” Kowalczyk said. “They’ve been in the postseason for three straight years. Our guys take pride. We want to play well against the best. It’s really about the X’s and O’s.”
Banks led UIC with 20 points and White finished with a career-high 17 points off the bench. No other Flame reached double figures.
Karl and Cedrick were the only ones to make an effort,” Collins said. “We didn’t get anything from anybody else. “Karl might make some mistakes, but he’s never afraid.”
Collins was down on the effort of some of his key players after the game.
“I was really disappointed with Rocky [Collum], Jovan [Stefanov] and Justin [Bowen],” Collins said.
The three combined for 4-of-14 shooting and five turnovers and were among the players that struggled fundamentally and with defense.
Despite the disappointing effort, UIC is still in the control of its own destiny for the No. 3 seed in the Horizon League Tournament.
UP NEXT: The Flames return to action Thursday night in the latest installment of the city rivalry with Loyola. The Ramblers come to the Pavilion, where they have lost 13 straight to the Flames. UIC has won seven straight in the series overall.
Loyola enters the game at 8-16 overall and 6-8 in the conference under first-year coach Jim Whitesell.
The Ramblers are led by 6-foot-7-inch sophomore forward Blake Schilb, who is third in the league at 16.5 points per game. Sophomore Majak Kou is an energetic player who averages 10.7 points. Both Schilb and Kou are three-point threats.
Senior guard DaJuan Gouard, who missed the first game with UIC on Jan. 6 with a knee injury, is averaging 14.4 points per contest and is the reigning Horizon League Player of the Week.
The game tips off at 7 p.m. and can be seen on Fox Sports Net and heard on WMVP-AM 1000. Loyola’s broadcast can be heard on WIND-AM 560.
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Wisconsin-Green Bay put on an offensive clinic at the UIC Pavilion on Monday night.
The Flames (12-11, 7-6) came back, sparked by freshman guard Karl White. White (pictured), stepping in for Rocky Collum, who had two early fouls, scored 10 first-half points and tied the game at 29-29 on an old-fashioned three-point play with 6:43 left in the first half.