Jan. 17, 2009
Box Score
Indianapolis, Ind. - The UIC women's basketball team suffered its second Horizon League setback on Saturday afternoon as the Flames fell to Butler, 58-48, at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Two UIC players scored in double figures. Shameia Green totaled a team-best 12 points, while Nikki Grobbecker added 10 points on the afternoon.
Grobbecker also led UIC under the boards with eight rebounds. Cassie Johnson tallied a game-high three blocks.
Butler's Melanie Thornton picked up a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
"It is a disappointing loss because we played such great defense in the first half," said head coach Lisa Ryckbosch. "If we would have done the same in the second half, we would have had a chance. We also didn't execute on offense."
The Flames (9-6, 3-2) took control of the first half with under 10 minutes on the clock. Sparked by a three-pointer from Kristin Petrinec, UIC took an eight-point lead on a 7-0 run.
Butler (11-6, 6-0) quickly answered with five straight points to cut the deficit to three at the 6:02 mark.
After a three-minute scoreless drought, the Bulldogs chipped off three more points before the end of the half to trail by four at intermission (25-21).
Thorton's three-point play with 13:27 on the clock in the second half gave Butler its first lead of the game in over 20 minutes of play.
The score remained tight until the Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run in the final stanza. Candace Jones gave Butler a double-digit advantage on two successful free throws.
Green attempted to regain the momentum for UIC on a three-pointer with less than five minutes left in regulation, but Butler continued to answer offensively.
The Flames return to the UIC Pavilion next week when they host Milwaukee and Green Bay on Jan. 22 and 24. Both games are set for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
