Nov. 20, 2007
Box Score
Chicago, Ill. - The UIC women's basketball team proved how tough its defense was on Tuesday night with 62-58 victory over Eastern Illinois at the Pavilion. The Panthers threatened several times late in the contest, but the Flames tightened up defensively to capture their second straight home victory this season.
"A lot of different players stepped up on defense tonight," said Ryckbosch. "We found a way to win and that is a huge step for this young group of talented players."
Sophomore Briana Hinkle tabbed a team-high 14 points, while junior Nikki Grobbecker tied her career-high 14 rebounds. Hinkle was 7-for-14 from the field with two steals. Miller drained three treys, totaled 12 points and led the Flames with four assists.
Junior Meghan Hutchens totaled 10 points and also tied the team-best four assists. Senior Ashley Hluska swiped a team-high three steals and pulled down seven boards on the night.
EIU's Rachel Galligan led the team with 15 points, while Lindsey Kluempers owned a team-high eight rebounds.
Trailing early in the first half, UIC took a 9-7 lead on a trey by Miller. The Panthers answered with 10 straight points at the 9:23 mark. UIC chipped away at the deficit, eventually tying (27-27) the contest on a free throw by Tomzik.
Dominique Sims gave Eastern Illinois a two-point advantage on a jumper within a minute of halftime, but UIC's Cassie Johnson knotted the game for the second time on a layup just seconds before the break.
Hinkle was 5-for-9 from the field, totaling 12 points. Grobbecker ended the first 20 minutes of play just two rebounds shy of her career-high with 12.
The Flames sparked a 9-1 run to start off the second half. UIC extended its lead to 10 points (53-43) at the 5:23 mark, but the Panthers cut the advantage to one point with less than a minute left in the game (59-58).
Miller gave UIC a three-point lead after drawing a foul with 14 seconds on the clock. UIC's strong defensive showing helped capture a 62-58 victory over Eastern Illinois.
The Flames host Northern Illinois on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 7:00 p.m.
