Relentless offensive rebounding. Superior free-throw shooting. And Cedric Banks.
Illinois-Chicago used this three-step formula Thursday night to chisel out a 102-92 victory in an emotional, rough-and-tumble, 54-foul victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee at the UIC Pavilion.
Banks, a 6-foot-2-inch junior guard from Westinghouse, not only scored a career-high 35 points.
He also had six offensive rebounds as the smaller Flames outrebounded the Panthers 47-25, 23-9 off the offensive glass.
UIC, shooting only .558 for the season from the foul line, sank 38-of-45, an .844 percentage. Three UIC guards combined to sink all 25 of their free throws. Jonathan Schneiderman was 10-of-10, Aaron Carr 8-of-8 and Banks 7-of-7.
UIC improved to 8-4 overall and 2-1 in the Horizon League. The Panthers dropped to 11-4, 3-1.
Banks’ greatest contribution may have come after he and Carr tried unsuccessfully to restrain coach Jimmy Collins to prevent him from being ejected from the game.
Referee Curtis Shaw called two technical fouls on Collins for arguing and tossed him with UIC ahead 75-64 with 6 minutes 12 seconds to play.
The Panthers cut the lead to 75-68 as Clay Tucker scored two free throws and a basket as a result of the technical fouls.
Then, after UIC’s Joe Scott sank a free throw, Banks drilled back-to-back three-point baskets and hit Armond Williams with a slick pass for a layup that inflated the lead to 84-68.
“I knew when coach got kicked out that we couldn’t stand around,” Banks said. “I told my team, `Let’s go! Let’s play defense and get a stop and go out there and win.'”
Banks hit 12-of-22 shots from the floor, including 4-of-10 from behind the arc. He and Williams had seven rebounds apiece. Carr was the team leader with 10.
Milwaukee coach Bruce Pearl drew a technical foul later in the game.
Flames guard Martell Bailey also was called for a technical foul in the first half for cursing.
“When there are four technical fouls called in a game, it’s the officials’ [fault],” Collins said. “I’m proud of my team. They played better after I was gone. Maybe I should draw my fouls earlier.”
The officials called 29 fouls on UWM, 25 on UIC. UWM hit 23-of-27 free throws.
Tucker and 6-8 Dylan Page each scored 26 points for the Panthers.
“UIC’s athletic ability and quickness made the difference,” Pearl said.
“The taller team doesn’t always win the rebounding. They had the effort and the energy. They owned the boards.”
Collins and Pearl did not shake hands either before or after the game. They have been feuding since they recruited players when Pearl was an assistant coach at Iowa and Collins was an assistant at Illinois.
