UIC, Loyola improve to 2-0
Paradise is the next stop for UIC.
The Flames head to the opening round of the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Friday with a 2-0 record after an 81-55 victory over the University of Illinois at Springfield at the Pavilion on Tuesday night.
UIC plays Winthrop in the opening round of the tournament.
On Tuesday, Flames junior Scott VanderMeer led the way with a career-high 19 points, and he added 5 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.
Sophomore Jeremy Buttell collected his first career double-double with 13 points and a team-best 10 rebounds.
Junior Josh Mayo added 13 points and tied a career high with 8 assists.
Senior Karl White Jr. chipped in 14 points and 6 assists.
The Flames went 8-for-9 in the opening six minutes to build a 19-8 advantage. They led by as many as 31 points in the second half.
The Prairie Stars (2-3) received 18 points and 5 rebounds from Nick Livas.
Loyola 72, EIU 65: Five players scored in double figures, and Andy Polka recorded a double-double to lead Loyola (2-0) to a 72-65 victory over Eastern Illinois (1-1) at Lantz Arena in Charleston.
The Panthers jumped out to an 11-3 lead, an edge they held nearly the entire first half.
But the Ramblers' J.R. Blount hit a 3-pointer with 1:38 left in the half to tie the game at 27-27.
Jake Byrne and Mike Robinson (team-high 13 points) hit consecutive baskets to put EIU back on top 31-37, but Tracy Robinson and Blount scored the final 4 points of the half, with Blount hitting a driving layup at the buzzer to deadlock the game 31-31 at intermission.
Loyola took its first lead, 34-33, on Leon Young's conventional 3-point play 40 seconds into the second half.
The Panthers reclaimed the lead on Bobby Catchings' 3-point play, but the Ramblers countered with a 5-0 run to take a 46-41 lead they would not relinquish.
Robinson scored a career-high 16 points coming off the bench, 14 in the second half.
Blount added 15 points, Young chipped in 12 points and a team-best 4 assists, and Polka added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Morehead St. 61, WIU 49: Maze Stallworth scored 14 points as host Morehead State (1-1) beat Western Illinois.
David Nurse led the Leathernecks (1-1) with 14 points.
Top 20 and Big Ten
MSU 86, Chicago St. 53: After sitting out Michigan State's second exhibition game for academic reasons, Raymar Morgan had something to prove.
Raymar Morgan had a career-high 25 points and 15 rebounds to help No. 12 Michigan State beat visiting Chicago State in a first-round game of the CBE Classic.
"He was on a mission," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "I think he was a little embarrassed. He played a little possessed tonight."
"I just tried to come out strong and do what we needed," Morgan said. "The key was getting the rebound, making the outlet and running the wings. We really wanted to push it."
All-American Drew Neitzel added 12 points for the Spartans (1-0).
David Holston scored 18 points and had four 3-pointers for the Cougars (0-2).
Michigan State will face Louisiana-Monroe, a 60-53 winner over Northern Michigan, today.
Gonzaga 80, Idaho 43: Freshman Austin Daye scored 18 points to help No. 14 Gonzaga (2-0) rout visiting Idaho.
Brandon Brown led Idaho (1-1) with 12 points.
Ohio St. 68, Columbia 54: Jamar Butler scored 18 points and engineered runs in each half to lead host Ohio State past Columbia and into the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off.
The Buckeyes (2-0) will meet Syracuse on Nov. 21 at Madison Square Garden. The Orangemen beat Saint Joseph's 72-69 to win their region of the tournament.
Seven-foot freshman Kosta Koufos led Ohio State with 19 points.
John Baumann paced Columbia (1-2) with 12 points. Patrick Foley had 10.