Jan. 27, 2011
Final Stats
Final Box Score 
CHICAGO - Senior forward Brad Birton posted his first double-double of the season, and the Flames held the lead for all but one possession in the opening 25 minutes, but visiting Cleveland State shot 50 percent from the field in the second half, and defeated the UIC men's basketball team, 63-49 at the UIC Pavilion Thursday night.
Birton's 14 points and 10 rebounds both marked career-highs - he was joined in double figures by senior guard Robo Kreps, who scored 10 points, all in the first half. Cleveland State was led by Horizon League leading scorer Norris Cole, who poured in 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting; he scored nine of the Vikings' final 22 points. Chicago native Jeremy Montgomery also chipped in 13 points.
The Flames (5-16, 0-9 Horizon) out-rebounded the Vikings 35-32, but were just 1-for-7 from three-point range and saw Cleveland State (19-3, 8-2 Horizon) score 24 points off turnovers.
"I thought our guys came out with a lot of energy tonight," said head coach Howard Moore. "We had a solid game plan on how to handle Cleveland State's press. We held them (CSU) to less than a point per possession in the first half. But in the second half, we got worn down a little bit, and even though they took the press away, they still pressured us (defensively).
"We hit a rut where we got an intentional foul, and things snowballed from there. That's (CSU) a good team; you can't make a lot of mistakes against a team like that - they're very good, and they proved that again tonight."
UIC trailed just once in the first half, and jumped out to an early 8-3 lead after field goals by Birton, Kreps and Darrin Williams. After Cleveland State closed the gap to two points twice in the ensuing 6:09, the Flames went on a 7-0 run to take a 21-12 lead with 8:18 remaining in the first half.
The Vikings answered with a 9-2 spurt, and pulled back within 23-21 with just under four minutes left in the opening stanza. Kreps and Paul Carter then combined for five quick points, as UIC re-claimed a 28-21 advantage with 2:20 remaining. CSU scored the final five points of the half, including a three-pointer by Montgomery with 41 seconds remaining, to make the score 31-29 in favor of the Flames at halftime.
UIC either led or found itself tied for the opening six minutes of the second half, before the Vikings claimed a 41-39 lead, their first since leading 3-2, with 14:08 remaining. A jumper by Cole with 13:36 left gave CSU a 45-39 lead. After Birton pulled UIC within five (47-42), Cole led a convincing 10-4 Cleveland State run, and the Vikings jumped ahead by 13 points, 57-44, with 5:42 remaining.
The Flames trimmed the deficit to single digits (58-49) after two free throws by Birton (3:49), but could draw no closer. The Vikings out-scored UIC 34-18 in the second half.
UIC will return home next Thursday (Jan. 27) to take on Cleveland State beginning at 7 p.m. CST. The game will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet Chicago.
