Boxscore (pdf)

MILWAUKEE (January 29, 2015) – Matt Tiby posted 19 points and 13 rebounds and Steve McWhorter added 17 points to lead host University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (8-14, 3-5 Horizon) to a 71-65 victory over UIC (5-17, 1-6 Horizon) tonight at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. The win is Milwaukee's third in a row at home and is the Panthers' 13^th in the last 15 meetings versus the Flames.
 
"It's always a grind at this time of the season and UIC gave us problems with their guard penetration and decision making," Milwaukee Head Coach Rob Jeter said. "What's good to see is 16 assists and only nine turnovers and we were able to make some shots from both inside and outside. When we make shots we have a chance to be in and win games."
 
Tiby scored six of Milwaukee's first eight points as the Panthers jumped out to an early 8-4 lead. Jake Wiegand's three-point play helped spark a 12-2 UIC run that turned a four-point deficit into an 18-12 lead with 7:55 left in the first half. But the Panthers answered with a 9-2 run of their own, capped by a three from Cody Wichmann, to grab a 21-20 lead and the teams would go into the break knotted up at 28.
 
UIC quickly built a six-point lead early in the second half before the Panthers put together a 10-3 run that was capped by Justin Jordan's three-pointer, for a 44-43 lead.
 
Another three by Wichmann, his third of the night, broke a 50-50 tie and gave Milwaukee the lead for good, and Akeem Springs (13 points, 8 rebounds) followed with a pair of free throws to give the Panthers a 55-50 advantage.
 
Milwaukee led by as many as seven points on a couple of occasions in the second half, the last coming when Tiby drained a pair of free throws with 1:46 remaining to give the Panthers a 67-60 lead. UIC wouldn't go down without a fight though, and a three from Ahman Fells and a pair of foul shots from Paris Burns sliced the UWM lead to 67-65 with 51 seconds left.
 
But, Jordan hit the biggest shot of the night, draining a three from the left corner with 20 seconds left, to extend the lead to 70-65 and Milwaukee held on for its third win in the last five outings.
 
The Panthers drained 52.2 percent (12-for-23) of their shots in the second half, including 5 of 10 from three-point territory. Tiby's 19 points and 13 boards fell one shy of his season high in each category and the double-double was his sixth of the season. The Panthers are now 9-3 in his career when he tallies 10 or more points and rebounds and he has scored in double digits in a career-best 13 straight games.
 
McWhorter added five rebounds and four assists to go with his 17 points, while Springs (13 points) and Wichmann (11 points) also reached double figures in scoring.
 
Fells scored a game-high 20 points to lead UIC, which dropped its sixth consecutive contest.
 
Milwaukee closes out a busy stretch of games when it hosts Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. The Panthers' 2004-05 team that reached the NCAA Sweet 16 will be recognized at halftime of Saturday's game versus Detroit.