Feb. 19, 2011

Box Score

Men's Basketball: UIS 78, Lewis 70 in PDF Format

Springfield, Ill. - It took a mere nine seconds for Saturday's men's basketball contest between UIS and Lewis University to take a decidedly downward turn for the visiting Flyers, as senior guard and leading scorer Dennis Thomas, Jr. (Milwaukee, Wis./Bradley Tech) left the contest with an apparent eye injury.

Thomas' 17.3 points-per-game and senior leadership were sorely missed as UIS claimed the 78-70 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over the Flyers at UIS' Recreation and Athletics Center, ending Lewis' chances at the GLVC North Division title.

"It was a tough way for Dennis to go down like that, but we still had to play basketball," Lewis head men's basketball coach Scott Trost said. "We didn't shoot well, we turned the ball over and we didn't defend well.

"It's frustrating, especially when you're playing for the division championship."

UIS junior forward Michael Fakuade topped the Prairie Stars in the win with 22 points and eight rebounds, followed by 16 points from Brandon Farmer and 12 points from Kendall Burrage.

With the win, UIS improves to 8-17 overall and 4-14 in GLVC action, while the Flyers are now 16-13 on the campaign and 9-9 in conference play.

Lewis junior forward Matt Toth (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) led the way for the Flyers with a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds. Flyer junior point guard Chris McClellan (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Wheeling) chipped in 20 points and five assists, while junior center Marty Strus (Hickory Hills, Ill./Stagg) narrowly missed a triple-double with nine points, eight assists and tied a season-high with 11 rebounds.

Lewis jumped out to a 25-19 lead over the Prairie Stars, following a three-pointer from Thomas' replacement David Luster (South Holland, Ill./Seton Academy/Johnson County C.C.) with 4:55 left in the opening stanza.

The well, however, ran dry as Lewis was held scoreless for the remainder of the first half and UIS went on a 21-8 run over the next 10 minutes to take a 40-33 lead over the Flyers with 14:50 left in the contest.

UIS would extend that lead to as many as 11 points in the second half and held a 61-53 advantage over the Flyers following a three-point play by Fakuade with 5:07 left in the game. The Flyers would trim that margin to 63-60 with 3:30 left in the contest, following a Strus lay-up, but would come no closer.

Despite the loss, Lewis tied a team-season high with 42 rebounds.

Lewis, who is the No. 9 seed, returns to action on Saturday (Feb. 26), as the Flyers head to the road for the GLVC Men's Basketball Tournament against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,000 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.

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