Nov. 10, 2009

Box Score

CHICAGO- The UIC men's basketball team dropped a 65-55 decision to visiting Lewis in the Flames' lone exhibition contest prior to the 2009-10 campaign at the UIC Pavilion on Tuesday night.

Rookie Louis Green led UIC with 10 points and eight rebounds, while Kris Harris and Zavion Neely chipped in nine points apiece.

Lewis was led by Justin Jarosz's game-high 21 points, while Marty Strus had 13 boards.

"We knew Lewis is a good team," said UIC head coach Jimmy Collins. "We have a lot of things to work on. What means the most is effort, and we didn't show enough of that. Louis' effort tonight was certainly appreciated tonight; he put forth the effort. We just didn't get enough.

"We were depending on some guys to play better, and they didn't."

The Flyers , who had already played Notre Dame and Bradley tough in a pair of preseason games, got off to a scorching start from the field and led by as many as 14 in the early moments.

The Flames proceeded to go on a 16-2 run to even the game at 24-24 before Strus' layup with five seconds before intermission.

But Lewis regained its early shooting form while UIC went cold from the field, as the Flyers pulled away and led by as many as 19 with just over six minutes remaining in regulation.

UIC received stout bench play, as the Flames' reserves outscored Lewis' subs 37-0, but the Flyers used an 11-rebound advantage on the glass and 44 percent (10-for-23) shooting from downtown to pull out the win.

The Flames mustered a 6-for-25 performance from behind the arc. But the cold shooting was not Collins' main concern after the preseason performance.

"We have to work on character," said Collins. "We have to find the character on this team."

UIC opens the regular season this Saturday, Nov. 14 against UIS at 3 p.m. inside the UIC Pavilion.

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