It`s 26 down, one to go for the Illinois-Chicago Flames in the regular season.
Thursday`s clash at Cleveland State is all that stands between UIC and its March 5 opener in the Association of Mid-Continent Universities tournament at Northern Iowa, probably against the host Panthers (18-7).
With Cleveland State on NCAA probation, all that`s at stake for UIC
(16-10) Thursday are pride and a shot at victory No. 17-a number that would tie the 1989-90 Flames for the second-best victory total in school history.
Getting here involved the expected:
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UIC forced an average of 21 turnovers per game with its quickness. But the Flames were outrebounded by their opponents by an average of seven per game.
The unexpected:
The upsets of Michigan State, Iowa State and Southwest Missouri State. And the midseason groin injury to star Chris Harris hurt.
And the shocking:
How poorly the Flames shot almost all season. A team field-goal percentage in AMCU play of 40 percent-far and away the poorest showing of any team in the league (AMCU champ Southwest Missouri shot 50 percent).
Saturday`s 68-63 loss at Wisconsin-Green Bay, in which UIC shot 8 of 18 at the line to Green Bay`s 25 of 28, is Exhibit A for what has happened to the Flames since mid-January:
A total of 13 games, seven decided on a shot at the buzzer, within seconds of the buzzer or in overtime.
”It was simple,” said UIC coach Bob Hallberg of Saturday`s loss. ”We do a better job at the free-throw line, the bus ride home is a lot shorter.” In sum, a good regular season that had a shot at greatness.
Unfortunately, the rim kept getting in the way.