|
Stewart, Edwardsville stay hot
RECRUITS, ALUMNI DOING WELL
(3/7/06)
UIC recruit Spencer Stewart continues to be the steady hand that leads Edwardsville in the IHSA Class AA tournament.
The 6-foot-4-inch senior point guard has led the Tigers to a 27-0 record and a regional championship. Stewart is second on the team in scoring at 11.2 points per game. He also leads the team in rebounding (8.4) and assists (8.1).
Stewart shoots 58 percent from the field, 42 percent from three-point range and 76 percent from the free-throw line. He also averages 3.3 steals per game.
The Tigers return to action Tuesday night in the sectional semifinals in Springfield against Mt. Zion.
Meanwhile, the Flames’ other Class of 2006 signee, forward Jonathan Blake’s Cypress Springs (Texas) team just wrapped up its regular season at 23-10 overall and 10-6 in District 17-5A. He averaged around 11 points per game in district play.
The Cardinals edged Savanna West Carroll 56-53 in the Class A sectional finals last Friday. Now Forreston, winners of 15 straight games, advances to Tuesday night’s supersectional in Moline against Chillicothe Illinois Valley Central. It was the Cardinals’ first sectional since Schneiderman’s senior year at the school in 1999.
In the mold of the their coach, the Cardinals are great three-point shooting team, making 11 treys in the win over West Carroll. Schneiderman will attempt to lead Forreston to its first berth Downstate since 1988. …
Cedrick Banks, UIC’s all-time leading scorer, continues to get better in his professional career. He is averaging 20.4 points per game, leading Besancon to a three-way tie with Orleans and Vichy in the French Pro-B League. His point average is second in the league.
Banks has four 30-point games this season and has been red-hot of late. He’s averaged 27.0 points in his last seven games. His best all-around game came on Feb. 24 in Besancon’s 94-78 win over Saint-Quentin: 26 points on 10-of-15 from the field and season-highs in rebounds (seven) and assists (eight).
Banks’ season-high in points was 32 in a 100-69 rout of Mulhouse on Jan. 20.
KUDOS: The UIC women’s basketball team made its first-ever appearance in the Horizon League championship game, but they lost 71-63 to top-seeded Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Monday afternoon.
Congratulations to coach Lisa Ryckbosch, plus Chrissy Dizon, LaShonda Grant and Jacquay Holmes and the rest of the Flames on a fine season, especially for the knockout of perennial powerhouse Wisconsin-Green Bay in Sunday’s semifinals. This was probably the best women’s team at UIC since the days of Joanne McCarthy and Penny Armstrong in the mid-’90s.
HORIZON MEN: The top two seeds of the men’s basketball tournament advanced to Tuesday night’s title game with semifinal victories at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee on Saturday night.
No. 2 seed Butler (19-11) walloped No. 3 seed Wisconsin-Green Bay 73-51 behind 20 points from senior point guard Avery Sheets. UWGB (15-16) shot just 39 percent from the field and 23 percent from three-point range after a lights-out performance against UIC a day earlier.
Top-seeded UWM (20-8) dispatched No. 4 Loyola 80-66 as seniors Joah Tucker and Boo Davis each scored 20 points. Blake Schilb’s 22 points led the Ramblers (19-11).
TUESDAY, FEB. 28 FIRST ROUND
#6 UIC 77, #7 Wright State 64
#5 Detroit 92, #8 Cleveland State 58
#4 Loyola 76, #9 Youngstown State 61
FRIDAY, MARCH 3 SECOND ROUND (U.S. CELLULAR ARENA)
#3 Wisconsin-Green Bay 76, #6 UIC 66
#4 Loyola 64, #5 Detroit 55
SATURDAY, MARCH 4 SEMIFINALS (U.S. CELLULAR ARENA)
#2 Butler 73, #3 Wisconsin-Green Bay 51
#1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 80, #4 Loyola 66
TUESDAY, MARCH 7 CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Butler at #1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 8
|
|
ALUMS: Former UIC sharpshooter Jonathan Schneiderman (pictured) is enjoying tremendous success as the first-year head coach of his alma mater Forreston.
Banks (pictured) is also averaging 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.0 steals per contest. He’s shooting 49 percent from the field, 39 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the foul line. His 66 three-point makes ranks him third in the league.
HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT