Dec. 4, 2004

Box Score |  Notes

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee used a 14-4 run to close the game in claiming a 75-67 win over Illinois-Chicago Saturday night in front of 6,004 fans at the UIC Pavilion.

The Panthers (5-0, 1-0 Horizon) have won their first five games to open a season for the first time since the 1992-93 season, and won at UIC for the first time since the 1998-99 campaign.

Chicago-native Chris Hill scored a game-high and career-best 18 points off the bench to lead UWM. Joah Tucker added 17 while Adrian Tigert had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The contest was the Horizon League opener for both teams, and pitted the top two teams in the league's pre-season poll.

UIC led 63-61 following a Karl White jumper with 6:04 remaining but the Panthers took control from there. UWM grabbed the lead for good on a Tigert basket with 4:39 left and eventually led 69-64 on a Hill jumper with 1:57 remaining. The Panthers, who made 19-of-24 free throws in the game, then made all six of their foul shots in the final minute to seal the win.

Cedrick Banks scored 16 points to lead UIC (2-3).

"It was a tremendous team victory," UWM head coach Bruce Pearl said. Pearl had to juggle his lineup throughout the game, as the Panthers, already missing Mark Pancratz with a stress fracture in his foot, lost Rob Sanders in the first half to a separated shoulder and overcame extensive foul trouble throughout the contest. "Adrian Tigert was tremendous, Chris Hill made some big plays, Boo Davis did great things."

The Panthers also won on an off-night from standout Ed McCants, who made just 2-of-13 field goals and scored five points.

"If you had told me Ed McCants would go 2-for-13 and score five points, I would have told you we would have lost. But the team picked him up in every way possible."

James Wright also earned kudos for the Panthers. Playing 25 minutes with starting center Derrick Ford on the bench with foul trouble, Wright collected eight points, six rebounds and three steals.

UIC jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead but the Panthers quickly collected themselves and knotted the game at nine on a Tigert layin. UIC again rebuilt a seven-point lead later in the half, but the Panthers finished the first 20 minutes with a rush, finally grabbing a 37-36 lead with just over 30 seconds to play on a Boo Davis three.

The second half was close until the final moments, with 11 ties and six lead changes. UIC led by as many as three while UWM held an occasional two-point lead before its final run.

Neither team returns to lead play for nearly a month, though both teams will do it against Detroit. UIC plays at Detroit Dec. 30, while UWM hosts Detroit Jan. 3.

The Panthers return to action Tuesday night, visiting Saint Louis University in a 7 p.m. contest.