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Seniors slam door on Salukis in final home game MAYO, VANDERMEER LEAD FLAMES TO WIN February 23, 2009
Mayo scored 25 points, hit five three-pointers and handed out five assists and VanderMeer had 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots as UIC held on a 74-67 victory over Southern Illinois in the annual BracketBusters game on Saturday night. Even with the visiting Salukis made a furious late run in an attempt to steal the win, Mayo and VanderMeer accounted for UIC’s last seven points at the free-throw line to close the door. The Flames (14-14), winners of four of five, feel like they’re finally rounding into shape down the stretch. “We’ve been playing that way for the last couple of games, keeping our poise and finishing games out,” Mayo said. “We’ve been working hard in practice. The coaches have been preparing us and we’ve been receptive to them.” UIC led by as many as 15 points in the second half and held control of a double-digit lead until the final 2 minutes. Mayo hit a three-pointer with 2:12 remaining to give the Flames a 67-55 advantage. The Salukis (11-17) countered with a quick 12-3 run as they connected on four straight threes—the last coming on Kevin Dillard’s shot with 30.6 seconds to play to cut the deficit to 70-67. Dillard hit three of treys in the run and Ryan Hare hit the other. “We could have had a chance to win if made one key stop,” said Dillard, who had 14 of his team-high 17 points in the second half. “Maybe we could’ve pulled it out.” But it was the Flames who finally came up with the knockout blow. Mayo hit two free throws before Dillard missed two three-point attempts, leading to VanderMeer’s two free throws that gave UIC to final margin. “I didn’t feel like it was slipping away, we just had to tighten up on some things,” UIC coach Jimmy Collins said. “[SIU] kept shooting away and hit some pretty difficult shots. Their character is to play hard … they weren’t going to stop playing.” Even though it was a special night for UIC’s seniors, it was SIU who came out jacked. The Salukis jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead on a three by Dillard and two baskets by Carlton Fay. The Flames finally fired up when VanderMeer kick-started a 15-2 burst with a short jumper. Spencer Stewart connected on a four-point play to give UIC its first lead at 13-9. VanderMeer followed with an emphatic dunk, then the usually low-key 7-footer gave Kris Harris a chest-bump as he was running off the court after a SIU timeout.
The Salukis eventually bounced back to grab the lead again at 24-22 after a Tony Boyle free throw. Then UIC closed the first half on a 13-0 run over the final 5:37 as Kreps scored seven points in the burst, including a three-pointer. SIU looked to threaten early in the second half, but the Flames rattled off seven straight points, capped by a Kreps’ layup for a 46-31 lead with 12:38 remaining. Kreps, a sophomore, provided the seniors with some valuable assistance, scoring 20 points on 6-for-10 from the field, including 4-for-5 from three-point range. “[UIC] hit some shots,” SIU coach Chris Lowery said. “Mayo’s good, we let him get open too many times in the guts of the game. He and Kreps did a great job of scoring.” Junior Jeremy Buttell also had another strong game with eight points and seven rebounds and Stewart doled out a team-best six assists. SIU was missing its defensive stopper in guard Bryan Mullins, who sat out with a stress fracture in his foot. “I was very pleased with the way our team stayed strong in terms of not panicking and using poise when it was necessary,” Collins said. “The Salukis, even though they were playing short-handed, were competitive, and we knew they would be.” VanderMeer said the Flames’ hopes are still alive and flickering. “We’re coming together,” VanderMeer said. “Our goal is still to get to the NCAA tournament. We know we’ve got to win the conference tournament.”
The Flames honored Mayo, VanderMeer and senior manager Lawrence Moore before the game. In addition, associate head coach Mark Coomes was recognized as he will retire at season’s end after spending seasons with UIC. … With 18:09 left in the game, it appeared Mayo was going to coast in for an easy layup, SIU’s Justin Bocot came flying in from behind with a beautiful block. … Mayo on playing his last game at the Pavilion: “It’s a blessing to still be here. God’s blessed me to come this far. I just thank my coaches and my teammates and God, first. Former Flames guard T.J. Gray (2006-07) was in attendance for the game. Gray said that he is finishing up his Master’s degree taking on-line courses offered by SIU. … UP NEXT: UIC plays its final regular season game on Friday night against crosstown rival Loyola at Gentile Center. Tip time is 8 p.m. with coverage on ESPNU and WIND-AM 560. |
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