On Saturday, the University of Illinois at Chicago won the attention of the basketball world with a shocking 57-54 upset of No. 12 Illinois. The Fighting Illini now have their first loss of the season, and the Flames have beaten a ranked opponent for the first time in nearly four years.
Robo Kreps led Illinois-Chicago with 15 points. Paul Carter chipped in with 12 points and six rebounds, and Zavion Neely added 11 points of his own. In all, the Flames shot 46.5 percent from the field, including 46.7 percent from beyond the arc.
In a losing effort, Demetri McCarney led Illinois in scoring. Jerome Richardson pulled down 12 rebounds. Illinois struggled with its shooting, having only shot 32.1 percent.
Illinois-Chicago's last win against a ranked opponent came on January 10th, 1997, against Butler. This is a major achievement for the 5-7 Flames, who finished last season with a dismal 8-22 record.
For more on this game, check in with SB Nation's Fighting Illini blog, Hail To The Orange.