Team play paid off for Wisconsin-Milwaukee Thursday night as the Panthers beat visiting Illinois-Chicago 82-64.
The Panthers outrebounded the taller Flames 46-27, had double the steals (8) and generally outhustled Chicago to improve to 8-6 overall and 1-1 in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference under first-year coach Bo Ryan.
“Our guys are starting to come together that way more consistently,” said Ryan, who in 15 seasons at Wisconsin-Platteville won four NCAA Division III national titles before moving up to Division I with Milwaukee.
Flames coach Jimmy Collins said some of his players weren’t doing what he wanted them to, though he didn’t name names.
“There is no `I’ in team. I’ve been fighting it. Tonight it was at its worst,” said Collins, whose team fell to 6-11 and 1-2.
Chicago St. 63, IUPUI 60: Tim Bryant scored 17 points to lead the vistiing Cougars (6-7) over Indiana-Purdue Indianapolis (2-11).
Darrell Jones added 12 points and 14 rebounds and Squirt Hicks had 10 points for Chicago State.
UWGB 64, Loyola 52: Jerry Carstensen scored 22 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for Wisconsin-Green Bay as the host Phoenix (9-7, 2-0) rallied after a cold-shooting first half to beat the Ramblers (9-6, 0-3) in a Midwestern Collegiate Conference game.
Loyola’s Jerell Parker had 18 points and Chris Williams and Earl Brown 11 each.
Murray St. 83, Eastern Ill. 69: Aubrey Reese scored 29 points to lead the host Racers (10-4, 3-0) Ohio Valley Conference win over the Panthers (7-6, 3-2).
YSU 76, Western Ill. 59: Albert Crockett’s 20 points paced host Youngstown State (6-9, 3-1) in a Mid-Continent Conference win over the Leathernecks (5-12, 0-4).
Valpo 58, Oakland 56: Milo Stovall scored 15 points and Ivan Vujic added 11 points and 7 rebounds as the host Crusaders (7-9, 1-3) defeated the Golden Grizzlies (4-13, 2-1) in a Mid-Continent game.
