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8.05pm ET
Illinois-Chicago (1-2) at Illinois State (4-1)
Recommended Play: Illinois St -3.5
Preview courtesy of The Sports Network:
Vying for their fourth straight victory and the fifth in six games overall to start the 2004-05 season, the Redbirds of Illinois State hit the floor in Normal tonight against the Flames of Illinois-Chicago in a non-conference bout. On Saturday the Redbirds posted an 80-51 triumph over the Skyhawks of Tennessee-Martin, five days after defeating little-known Truman State, 82-47. The only loss for the squad came against Marquette on the road on November 15th by a score of 60-32. The 32 points marked the second lowest game total for the Redbirds in the Division I era, topping only a 51-31 loss at Tulsa in January of 1988. It was also the fewest points Marquette had allowed in more than half a century. Meanwhile, the Flames nearly pulled off the impossible against nationally-ranked Georgia Tech in the season-opener, coming up just short in a 60-59 decision. That loss was followed be a 63-51 setback to Bowling Green before the squad posted an 80-66 victory over South Dakota State on Saturday for their first win of the season. As far as the all- time series is concerned, the Redbirds are currently holding a 9-6 advantage over Illinois-Chicago. However, it was the Flames who picked up the victory in the most recent meeting a season ago, laying claim to an 86-74 decision.
Before fouling out against South Dakota State, Justin Bowen scored a career- high 18 points, hitting 7-of-9 shots from the field, and clearing six rebounds as he led five players in double figures for the Flames. Although he shot only 5-of-15 from the floor and 2-of-9 beyond the arc, Cedrick Banks added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Marcetteaus McGee contributed 12 points and a game-high eight assists. Elliott Poole just missed out on a double-double with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Karl White came off the bench to offer another 10 points in 20 minutes of action. Banks, who scored 23 points versus the runner-up in the national title game a year ago, is leading the team with 14.3 ppg even as he shoots just 31.0 percent from the field and 28.0 percent from behind the three-point line. Bowens is contributing 12.3 ppg and is tied with Jovan Stefanov for the lead with 6.7 rpg as well.
Trey Guidry made half of his 12 three-point attempts and finished with a game- high 27 points in the win over Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. Guidry converted 10-of-19 from the field overall in 30 minutes of action, while Lorenzo Gordon knocked down 11-of-20 from the floor to finish with 23 points. The duo combined to take 39 of the team's 67 field goal attempts in the contest and were the only two on the unit to score in double figures as a result. Illinois State forced 21 turnovers, which helped to make up for the fact that the group was just 4-of-10 at the free-throw line. Guidry, whose scoring output against the Skyhawks represented a season high for the team, is second in scoring after five games with 16.6 ppg, trailing only Gordon who is responsible for 19.9 ppg. Guidry is shooting almost as well from three-point range (.452) as he is from the field (.476) overall this year. Unfortunately, after those two the scoring for the Redbirds takes a severe hit, as Vince Greene places third on the team with a mere 6.6 ppg at the moment.
Illinois-Chicago has already shown that it can compete with the big boys in college basketball, but perhaps that was more of an aberration than anything else. If the Flames can keep Gordon and Guidry in check they might have a chance, otherwise this one should fall to Illinois State at home.
Good luck
Mike Thomas
www.ChampionPlays.com
Illinois-Chicago (1-2) at Illinois State (4-1)
Recommended Play: Illinois St -3.5
Preview courtesy of The Sports Network:
Vying for their fourth straight victory and the fifth in six games overall to start the 2004-05 season, the Redbirds of Illinois State hit the floor in Normal tonight against the Flames of Illinois-Chicago in a non-conference bout. On Saturday the Redbirds posted an 80-51 triumph over the Skyhawks of Tennessee-Martin, five days after defeating little-known Truman State, 82-47. The only loss for the squad came against Marquette on the road on November 15th by a score of 60-32. The 32 points marked the second lowest game total for the Redbirds in the Division I era, topping only a 51-31 loss at Tulsa in January of 1988. It was also the fewest points Marquette had allowed in more than half a century. Meanwhile, the Flames nearly pulled off the impossible against nationally-ranked Georgia Tech in the season-opener, coming up just short in a 60-59 decision. That loss was followed be a 63-51 setback to Bowling Green before the squad posted an 80-66 victory over South Dakota State on Saturday for their first win of the season. As far as the all- time series is concerned, the Redbirds are currently holding a 9-6 advantage over Illinois-Chicago. However, it was the Flames who picked up the victory in the most recent meeting a season ago, laying claim to an 86-74 decision.
Before fouling out against South Dakota State, Justin Bowen scored a career- high 18 points, hitting 7-of-9 shots from the field, and clearing six rebounds as he led five players in double figures for the Flames. Although he shot only 5-of-15 from the floor and 2-of-9 beyond the arc, Cedrick Banks added 14 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Marcetteaus McGee contributed 12 points and a game-high eight assists. Elliott Poole just missed out on a double-double with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Karl White came off the bench to offer another 10 points in 20 minutes of action. Banks, who scored 23 points versus the runner-up in the national title game a year ago, is leading the team with 14.3 ppg even as he shoots just 31.0 percent from the field and 28.0 percent from behind the three-point line. Bowens is contributing 12.3 ppg and is tied with Jovan Stefanov for the lead with 6.7 rpg as well.
Trey Guidry made half of his 12 three-point attempts and finished with a game- high 27 points in the win over Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. Guidry converted 10-of-19 from the field overall in 30 minutes of action, while Lorenzo Gordon knocked down 11-of-20 from the floor to finish with 23 points. The duo combined to take 39 of the team's 67 field goal attempts in the contest and were the only two on the unit to score in double figures as a result. Illinois State forced 21 turnovers, which helped to make up for the fact that the group was just 4-of-10 at the free-throw line. Guidry, whose scoring output against the Skyhawks represented a season high for the team, is second in scoring after five games with 16.6 ppg, trailing only Gordon who is responsible for 19.9 ppg. Guidry is shooting almost as well from three-point range (.452) as he is from the field (.476) overall this year. Unfortunately, after those two the scoring for the Redbirds takes a severe hit, as Vince Greene places third on the team with a mere 6.6 ppg at the moment.
Illinois-Chicago has already shown that it can compete with the big boys in college basketball, but perhaps that was more of an aberration than anything else. If the Flames can keep Gordon and Guidry in check they might have a chance, otherwise this one should fall to Illinois State at home.
Good luck
Mike Thomas
www.ChampionPlays.com