Dec. 13, 2009
Box Score
CHICAGO - A rough end to the first half spelled doom for the UIC men's basketball team in a 77-56 loss to DePaul at Allstate Arena on Sunday.
Robo Kreps scored a team-high 18 for the Flames (1-6), while Spencer Stewart handed out eight assists and pulled down eight rebounds in his second game of the year. Zavion Neely added 15 points and five assists.
Will Walker led the Blue Demons (6-3) with 18 points.
UIC recovered from DePaul's 10-3 start to the game with a 15-7 run and led by as many as two in the middle of the opening period thanks to Kreps' early hot shooting. The junior guard made four of his first five shots, including three three-pointers, for 11 points in the opening eight-plus minutes.
But the Blue Demons closed the first half with a 10-0 burst, outscoring the Flames 17-3 in the period's final nine minutes, to take a 12-point advantage into intermission.
The Flames were forced to play shorthanded when center K.C. Robbins was ejected after he was whistled for a flagrant foul late in the first half.
The Blue Demons would go up by as many as 17 in the opening moments of the second half, but the Flames would rally to cut the deficit to 10 on multiple occasions.
Unfortunately every time UIC made a run, DePaul had an answer. An 11-2 DePaul spurt pushed the hosts' lead to 19, and after another Kreps trey pulled UIC to within 14 at the 6:07 mark, the Flames were sent away by a 10-0 run capped by Devin Hill's layup with just over two minutes on the clock.
UIC had 10 assists in the first half alone and 16 for the game after totaling just 10 combined helpers in the two games prior to Sunday.
The Flames return to the UIC Pavilion to host Oregon State this Wednesday, Dec. 13 beginning at 7 p.m.
Fans can listen to podcasts featuring exclusive interviews with UIC head coaches, staff and student-athletes in two ways:
1. Download the free UIC Athletics Widget and click on the "UIC Flames Podcasts" link
2. Download podcasts for free on iTunes by searching "UIC Flames."
Fans wishing to learn more about affordable and flexible UIC ticket plans are encouraged to call 312-413-UIC1 or visit www.uicflames.com and click on the "Tickets" tab on the Flames home page.
