Sunday Delivers #HLMBB Thrillers

#HLMBB Scoreboard (Jan. 12)
Green Bay 93, Milwaukee 86 (ot)
Wright State 58, UIC 53

Sunday delivered two games decided in the final minute of regulation or overtime, with Green Bay extending its winning streak to eight and Wright State remaining unbeaten at the Nutter Center. The wins set up a first-place showdown between the two on Friday, Jan. 17, on ESPNU.

Green Bay 93, Milwaukee 86 (ot)
Green Bay found itself down seven points with 3:39 to play at U.S. Cellular Arena, and its seven-game winning streak was in jeopardy. However, Keifer Sykes refused to let the Phoenix drop its first Horizon League game of 2013-14. The 5-foot-11 point guard scored seven points down the stretch, including a game-tying layup with 43 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Sykes finished with a career-high 34 points and the Phoenix controlled the overtime session en route to a 93-86 win over rival Milwaukee.

Sykes was just 4-of-14 from the field early in the second half as Milwaukee (12-6, 2-2 Horizon) scored the first eight points after halftime and turned a 42-38 deficit into a 50-44 lead at the 15:50 mark. The Chicago native scored 10 points in the next two minutes as Green Bay (13-3, 3-0 Horizon) closed the deficit to two, 56-54.

After his slow start, Sykes made nine of his next 12 shots from the field. The junior played 43 minutes without committing a turnover, and finished with 34 points on 13-of-28 shooting and eight rebounds and five assists.

Milwaukee scored the next seven points to increase its lead, and Panther guard Jordan Aaron scored 15 of his team-high 26 points in the next seven minutes as the hosts’ lead reached as many as nine points.

The Phoenix trailed by seven, 79-72, with 3:29 to play, but Sykes and Brown made back-to-back three-pointers to close the margin to 79-78 at the 2:18 mark. After a Milwaukee triple, Sykes scored on two-straight possessions in the final 1:30 to tie the game. The Panthers turned it over on their final possession, and Alec Brown missed a jumper at the buzzer.

In the overtime session, Greg Mays and Brown made the first two baskets for the Phoenix, and Brown made a running hook in the lane for an 88-84 lead with 46 seconds remaining. Milwaukee had an empty possession, and Sykes made two free throws on the other end.

Despite foul trouble, Brown finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Jordan Fouse collected 11 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven assists in 41 minutes, and Mays added 11 points.

Fouse had eight offensive rebounds and Brown seven as the Phoenix grabbed 23 offensive boards. Green Bay held a 45-35 edge on the glass and had 16 assists compared to just 11 turnovers.

Green Bay will continue its four-game road trip next weekend, playing at Wright State on Friday.

Wright State 58, UIC 53
Wright State held UIC without a point over the final 4:43 of play, helping the Raiders sneak past the visiting Flames, 58-53, at the Nutter Center.

UIC (5-12, 0-3 Horizon) scored the first five points of the contest and led throughout much of the first half until Wright State (11-8, 3-1 Horizon) in front for the first time at 23-22 on two AJ Pacher free throws at the 4:16 mark.  Another Pacher foul shot made it 24-22 before UIC regained the advantage with five straight points en route to a 27-26 halftime edge.

UIC shot 39 percent from the field, including three of six from behind the arc, in the opening 20 minutes while the Raiders shot 28 percent, but Wright State was 10 of 12 at the foul line compared to six of 12 for the Flames.

The Flames extended the lead to 34-28 early in the second half, only to see WSU go back in front 40-39 on a Pacher layup with 11:38 to play.  Neither team then had more than a three-point advantage until two Kelsey Barlow free throws made it 53-49 at the 4:43 mark.

It was all Raiders from there, however, as Reggie Arceneaux connected on a three to draw Wright State to within one  and Pacher followed with a basket to put WSU up 54-53 with 2:42 to go.

After a missed shot and turnover on UIC's next possession, the Raiders came away empty twice, but a pair of offensive rebounds by Miles Dixon and Cole Darling set the stage for Arceneaux, who hit two foul shots at the 14.4-second mark to make it a three-point game.

The Flames had a chance to tie it, but Hayden Humes missed a three-attempt from the the top of the circle and Jerran Young hit a pair of free throws with 0.8 seconds left to seal the WSU victory.

Both teams struggled from the field as UIC finished at 36 percent and Wright State at 34 percent, but the difference came at the foul line as the Raiders were 22 of 25, 12 of 13 in the second half, compared to 14 of 22 for the Flames.

Pacher, who was 11 of 13 at the stripe, led WSU with 17 points while Young had 13 off the bench and Arceneaux added 10.

Barlow paced UIC with 19 points while Marc Brown had 14 points and Jordan Harks had 11 rebounds.

Wright State hosts Green Bay in a key league matchup on Friday at 7:00.  The game will televised on ESPNU.