Wisconsin-Green Bay’s body-banging backup center Ryan Mueller said: “We were searching for our identity. We went back to our roots tonight.”
Illinois-Chicago coach Jimmy Collins said: “When you score 18 points in a half, you’re not there emotionally. Green Bay fought to the bitter end. We did not. Our spirit is definitely broken.”
Mueller and Collins explained how the Phoenix, which had yielded an average of 82 points in its last three games, choked off UIC 52-43 Thursday night with the suffocating style of defense coach Mike Heideman has taught the last six years, and that Dick Bennett taught before him.
“We’ve never pretended to be a fancy, slick, offensive unit,” Heideman said after his 100th victory as Green Bay coach. “We have to play tough defense to win.”
A Pavilion crowd of 2,543 watched Green Bay make 11 steals and force 16 turnovers as it improved to 10-12 overall and 3-6 in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. UIC fell to 9-13, 3-6.
The Phoenix made nine of its steals, and the Flames committed 13 of their turnovers, in a first half that ended with the visitors ahead 30-18. The Flames shot .417 and managed only 17 shots.
Offenses took a back seat. Aaron Jessup was high scorer with 12 points for Green Bay. Joel Bullock led the Flames with 10.
Bill Jauss.
Wis.-Milwaukee 67, Loyola 65: Clay Tucker sank a pair of free throws with 10.2 seconds left to give Wisconsin-Milwaukee a home victory. Ronnie Jones and Jason Frederick scored 13 points apiece and Chad Angeli added 12 for the Panthers.
David Bailey scored 18 points for Loyola (7-16, 2-8), which lost its 20th straight road game and fifth in its last six overall.
Milwaukee (12-10, 4-5) broke open a close game in the second half by scoring 11 straight points, going ahead 62-53 with 4:41 remaining. But the Ramblers came back when Bailey hit a pair of free throws with 21.3 seconds left to make it 65-65, the game’s 15th tie.
But when Schin Kerr fouled Tucker under the Milwaukee basket with 10.2 seconds remaining, he sank both free throws to win the game. Loyola’s Silvije Turkovic missed a last-second three-pointer.
Chicago St. 68, IUPUI 58: Tony Jones scored 15 points as the visiting Cougars (4-18, 1-10) snapped a 13-game losing streak with the Mid-Continent win over the Jaguars (7-14, 3-7).
Tenn.-Martin 85, E. Illinois 71: Brian Foster scored 24 points and Okechi Egbe added 23 as the host Skyhawks (10-12, 5-6) defeated the Panthers (15-7, 8-3) in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Valparaiso 61, S. Utah 58: Dwayne Toatley and Milo Stovall each scored 12 points as the host Crusaders improved to 18-6, 9-2 in the Mid-Continent. Southern Utah (18-5, 9-3) was led by Chris Wallin and Jeff Monaco with 12 points each.
UMKC 71, W. Illinois 59: Javin Tindall scored 16 points and had six assists for host Missouri-Kansas (10-13, 6-5 Mid-Continent), which took control with a 10-0 first-half run. Western (3-19, 3-8) was led by Ryan Heisler with 15 points.
Louisville 75, Marquette 65: Rashad Brooks scored 14 points and the host Cardinals (9-14, 5-5 Conference USA) held the Golden Eagles (11-9, 6-3) to one field goal in the final 7:42. Oluoma Nnamaka and Cordell Henry scored 19 apiece for Marquette.
More Top Picks Best Lga 1700 Motherboards