NCAA News Wire
Oakland 76, Illinois-Chicago 75
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Guard Duke Mondy hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer as time expired to lift Oakland to a 76-75 Horizon League victory over Illinois-Chicago on Saturday at the O’Rena in Rochester, Mich.
The successful shot erased a 75-73 Flames lead secured by a pair of guard Pat Birt free throws with four seconds left in regulation and sent Illinois-Chicago (5-16, 0-7) to its 10th straight loss.
Guard Kahill Felder led a balanced Oakland attack with 21 points. Guard Travis Bader added 19, Mondy scored 11 and forward Dante Williams had 10 for the Grizzlies (8-14, 3-4), who broke a two-game losing streak.
The victory was Oakland’s 699th all-time and 250th in NCAA Division I.
Forward Jordan Harks scored 21 points, guard Kelsey Barlow had 20 and Bird added 11 as the Flames remained winless since a 88-61 non-conference win on Dec. 17 at home over Purdue-Calumet.
In the first half, Illinois-Chicago trailed only in the opening minute as Barlow collected 14 points while Harks had 11.
The Flames led by as many as 13 points on the way to a 40-31 halftime lead. Illinois-Chicago had a 12-point lead with 13:21 to play but Oakland whittled it down to single digits and took a 63-62 lead with 4:20 to play on Travis Bader’s 3-pointer.
There were five lead changes and three ties the rest of the way until Mondy’s 3-pointer decided the game.
Saturday’s game was Illinois-Chicago’s first against new Horizon League member Oakland, formerly in the Summit League. The Grizzlies beat the Flames 79-66 in their last meeting on Nov. 16, 2003.
