Jan. 14, 2003

Box Score

CHICAGO - Jason Frederick scored 19 points and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee held Chicago State scoreless for more than three minutes down-the-stretch en route to an 81-73 win Tuesday night at the Dickens Center.

UWM led just 72-71 after three Derrick Wimmer free throws with 3:32 remaining. But Chicago State didn't score again until a Wimmer layin with five seconds remaining. By then, the issue had been decided, thanks in large part to a Justin Lettenberger three that gave the Panthers a 77-71 lead with 1:13 remaining.

Dylan Page added 18 points, Lettenberger 10 and Clay Tucker nine for the Panthers (13-4), who won for the 12th time in their last 14 games.

Wimmer led Chicago State (3-12) with 19 points, while Kelvin Smallwood scored 17 points and Craig Franklin added 15.

"We got another road win and they are tough to come by," UWM head coach Bruce Pearl said. "Chicago State is a dangerous team because they are so athletic. Again a smaller, quicker team beat us on the backboards."

UWM appeared to take control of the game with a 9-0 run late in the first half, building a 39-23 lead on three Dan Weisse free throws with 2:04 remaining. But Chicago State countered by scoring the next 14 points. Six of those came before halftime, pulling the Cougars within 39-29 at the break. CSU then scored the first eight points of the second half, sparked by a pair of three-point shots by Wimmer, to pull with 39-37 with 17:44 remaining in the game.

The game remained close from there on out, with the Panthers unable to rebuild more than a nine-point advantage and holding a four-to-six point lead for much of the half.

The Panthers held the lead much of the early portion of the first half. They jumped out to a 10-3 advantage in the first three minutes and, after Chicago State rallied to tie the game at 10, UWM rallied to grab a 25-17 lead on a Ronnie Jones three-point play with 7:42 left.

Chicago State was without the services of head coach Bo Ellis, who was serving the second game of a school-imposed two-game suspension. Ellis conducted a practice Thursday after Chicago State lost to UMKC earlier in the evening, a violation of NCAA rules.

The Panthers return to action Saturday night, traveling north to face UW-Green Bay at the Resch Center. The game tips off at 7:05 p.m. Tape-delayed coverage beginning at 9 p.m. will be available on WMLW TV-41 in Milwaukee.