UIC

Chicago, Ill. - University of Illinois at Chicago Head Men's Basketball Coach Jimmy Collins will continue to lead the Flames beyond the 2008-09 season as athletic director Jim Schmidt announced on Tuesday a three-year contract extension for the winningest basketball coach in school history pending Board of Trustees approval.

"I have been truly blessed to spend the last 12 years doing what I love here at UIC," Collins said. "It is a great university with great administrators, faculty and students, who have all helped me, and this basketball program, become successful.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The script worked out just like it was planned. The 14th ranked team in the country and #1 seed hosting the semifinal game pounds their opponent into submission to play in the championship game on their court Tuesday night.

Butler became the sixth straight number one seed to advance to the Horizon League Championship game by beating University of Illinois-Chicago 66-50.

This started out pretty well for UIC (18-15) as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead on a layup by Robert Bush and a lob from Stewart Spencer resulting in a thunderous dunk by Jermaine Dailey.

When a team doesn’t shoot well, doesn’t rebound well and doesn’t shoot free throws very well there is a pretty good chance they are not going to win that night and that describes Loyola in their loss to UIC in the quarterfinals 60-49.

Loyola (12-19) shot a poor 38.3 percent (18-47), only made 56.3 percent (9-16) and then got killed on the boards 36-20.

Illinois Chicago Flames

 

Overall Rank: #105

Favorite: Loyola Chicago. Player of the Year: Blake Schilb. Conference Rank: 15th.