Nov. 27, 1999

Box Score

CHICAGO - David Webber scored a game-high 26 points to help Central Michigan rally for a 78-75 victory over the University of Illinois at Chicago. Jordan Kardos led the Flames with 24 points.

UIC was up 31-23 at the half and led by as many as nine points as the second half got underway. But the visiting Chippewas stormed back, knotting the game at 52-52 with 9:19 left to play.

A Tim Kisner three-pointer with 8:50 left in the second half sparked a 7-0 Central Michigan run, giving the Chippewas the lead for good at 59-52 with just over eight minutes remaining.

"They put us in a deficit and I wasn’t sure that we would be able to come back," said Central Michigan Coach Jay Smith. "They just got into us and knocked us on our heels. It was a great team win for us."

But UIC nearly pulled of a comeback of its own. Down 75-70 with just eight seconds left on the clock, the Flames cut the Central Michigan lead to 76-75 after a long Kardos three-pointer with four seconds to play.

On Central Michigan’s ensuing inbound attempt, UIC’s Jonathan Schneirderman was whistled for a controversial technical foul when he reached over the end line and touched the ball before the Chippewas could inbound it.

Kisner hit both of the technical free throws to give Central Michigan its final 78-75 margin of victory.

In addition to Kardos’ 24 points, senior UIC Ian Hanavan also turned in a solid performance for the Flames. Hanavan hit 5-of-10 shots from the field en route to scoring a career-high 17 points.

The win drops UIC to 1-2 on the season while Central Michigan moves to 2-1.

"Obviously, Central Michigan is a very good team," said UIC Head Coach Jimmy Collins after the game. "They’re polished team and they have a lot of experience."