Feb. 8, 2010
Box Score
VALPARAISO, Ind.- Jeremy Buttell's double-double and a season-high offensive output nearly helped the UIC men's basketball team overcome a late nine-point deficit, but the Flames came up just a point short in an 83-82 loss to Valparaiso at the Athletics-Recreation Center on Monday night.
Buttell scored a game-high 25 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for his second double-double in the last three games for the Flames (6-18, 2-12 Horizon League). Robo Kreps tallied 17, Chris Buchanan scored 11 off the bench and Spencer Stewart and Zavion Neely added 10 points apiece as UIC scored a season-high 82 points.
Kyle Broekhoff and Brandon Wood scored 18 apiece for the host Crusaders (13-13, 8-6 Horizon League).
After a 1-for-10 start from the field that dug an early 12-4 hole, the Flames fought back and rattled off a 9-0 burst that started a 15-2 run and put UIC ahead by five. UIC's defense held the Crusaders to just one basket for nearly seven minutes as the Flames went on their run.
Despite Stewart and Neely sitting on the bench for the half's final six minutes due to foul trouble, UIC led by five on three occasions in that span before Valpo outscored the Flames 11-6 to conclude the period in a 31-31 deadlock.
The second half was closely contested at the beginning, with both teams trading the lead and neither going ahead by more than three in the period's first six minutes until Valparaiso went on a 9-0 run to take a 59-51 lead.
UIC battled back, cutting the deficit down to three after a successful hook shot by K.C. Robbins at the 5:49 mark. The two teams traded a pair of free throws before Broekhoff hit his fourth three of the night to put the hosts ahead 72-66, and a free throw plus Brandon Wood's put-back moments later extended the Crusaders' lead to nine with just over three minutes remaining.
Buttell led the Flames' final charge, hitting a pair of treys and scoring seven in 13 ticks over a minute to bring the Flames within five, and a layup by Stewart following a timeout brought UIC back to within three with 1:10 left.
Wood was fouled by Kreps and went to the line to make one of two free throws, with the second attempt rolling off the rim and leading to a Crusader foul over the back that sent Stewart to the line. The senior point guard swished both to make the score 79-77.
Stewart was whistled for his fifth foul shortly after, sending Brandon McPherson to the stripe and allowing the Crusaders to extend their advantage to 81-77.
A near-turnover by the Flames was averted after Chris Buchanan picked up the loose ball and drove to the rim, getting fouled in the process and creating a chance for two free throws that he calmly converted with :39.6 on the clock.
McPherson went back to the line 12 seconds later after Buchanan was called for an infraction, and he hit both to extend the lead back to four.
A layup attempt by Kreps spun out of the cylinder on the Flames' possession, but a missed free throw and a lane violation after Buttell was called for a foul gave UIC life. A three-point attempt by Dipanjot Singh from the left side missed, and a scramble for the loose ball eventually led to the Flames regaining possession and taking a timeout but only a second remaining. Kreps hit a three as time expired.
UIC faces crosstown rival Loyola at the Gentile Center this Saturday, Feb. 13 at a new start time of 7 p.m. The game will air live on Lakeshore Public Television.
