HORIZON | MAC Illinois-Chicago wins in opener

Cedric Banks led the Flames to a 77-65 win over UC Irvine.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CINCINNATI -- Cedric Banks scored 25 points and had a driving layup during a 13-point run that led Illinois-Chicago to a 77-65 victory Saturday over UC Irvine in the Black Coaches Association Classic.
Illinois-Chicago (1-0) used its superior speed to force 23 turnovers, setting up its comeback after trailing most of the first half.
Aaron Carr added 17 points for Illinois-Chicago, which is picked to win the Horizon League with a lineup that includes five returning starters.
Stanislav Zuzak made six of his seven 3-point attempts and finished with a career-high 29 points for UC Irvine, which returns three starters from a team that went 20-9 last season and finished second in the Big West.
The eight-team tournament is being played over three days on Xavier's home court.
UC Irvine used its pronounced height advantage to build a nine-point lead in the first half. The Anteaters start four players who are 6-foot-5 or taller, topped by 7-foot center Adam Parada.
Illinois-Chicago, which has only one starter taller than 6-foot-4, did a better job of speeding up the pace in the second half, setting up a back-and-forth game.
It got so physical that the officials assessed a double technical foul against Parada and Illinois-Chicago center Josep Petrusic as they went belly-to-belly and shoved while setting up for an inbound play. It was Parada's third foul.
Illinois-Chicago was already in the bonus with 17:05 remaining, and UC Irvine went into the bonus as well two minutes later.
Banks' driving layup built Illinois-Chicago's lead to 53-44, but Zuzak banked in a 3-pointer and had a jumper in a 10-point spurt, the first of four rapid-fire lead changes.
Five players scored in the 13-point run that put Illinois-Chicago ahead 67-58, and UC Irvine never got closer than six points.
Mercer 67, Ohio 64
CINCINNATI -- James Odoms made a desperation 3-pointer with .7 of a second remaining.
The seesaw game featured 15 lead changes and 10 ties, the last at 64 after Thomas Stephens hit a 3-pointer for Ohio with 14 seconds remaining.
The Bears brought the ball up court and, after a timeout, got the ball to Odoms for his game-high fourth 3-pointer in seven tries.
Odoms and Scott Emerson finished with 14 points apiece. Emerson, the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason player of the year, also had a game-high 14 rebounds for Mercer (1-0).
Wesley Duke had 13 points, and Jay January added 12.
Jaivon Harris (Alliance) led all scorers with 17 points for Ohio (0-1). Jeff Halbert scored 12, all in the first half, and Delvar Barrett finished with 10 for the Bobcats.