Feb. 28, 2006

Box Score

Chicago, Ill.- A career-high 21 points from senior guard Rocky Collum and an all-around stellar showing at the charity stripe propelled the UIC men's basketball team in the Flames' 77-64 victory over Wright State in the first round of the 2006 Horizon League Tournament at the UIC Pavilion on Tuesday night.

Sixth-seeded UIC (16-14) advances to meet No. 3 UW-Green Bay on Friday at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee, Wis.

Tickets for the upcoming games at US Cellular Arena can be purchased by calling the UIC Ticket Office at 312-413-UIC1. Ticket price is $20. The Flames will have a special announcement regarding student tickets and a possible bus trip on Wednesday morning.

Collum sparked the Flames with a perfect shooting night, going 6-for-6 from the field and hitting all five of his attempts from behind the arc in netting a new career mark.

Senior forward Justin Bowen scored 19 points, followed by 14 points from junior Danijel Zoric. Freshman Josh Mayo also posted double-figure scoring with 12 points.

UIC made a living at the free throw line, shooting 28-for-29 (97%) from the stripe. Zoric went 8-for-8 from the line, while Bowen hit all seven of his foul shots.

DaShaun Wood led Wright State (13-15) with 17 points and seven assists.

Leading 17-14 midway through the first half, UIC went on 21-7 run to take a 17-point advantage that it would maintain going into intermission.

The Raiders would close the gap in the second period, trailing by one with just under three minutes left, but UIC would answer back with defense.

Clinging to a 65-64 lead, the Flames held Wright State without a point in the last 2:54, and six points by Bowen during that span helped give UIC the breathing room it needed to pull away.

Sophomore Othyus Jeffers pulled down a game-high nine rebounds to go along with nine points.

Junior Jovan Stefanov led UIC with five assists.

The Flames will meet UW-Green Bay at 4:30 p.m. this Friday in the next round of the 2006 Horizon League Tournament.