The host University of Illinois-Chicago Flames held off a late Lake Forest College push to win 73-60 on Saturday in both teams' lone exhibition tilt.
The Foresters were led in scoring by sophomore guard Eric Porter and freshman forward Danny Sotos, who each scored 10 points. Sotos also pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds in the contest.
UIC was ahead 37-27 at halftime and extended that lead coming out of intermission. The Foresters went on a 22-9 run late in the second half, cutting the lead to eight with 3:51 to play. The Flames, however, held the visitors scoreless for a two-and-a-half minute span down the stretch and made five of eight free throws in the final two minutes to secore the victory.
"While it was certainly not the result we were looking for, I was happy with the way our kids fought and competed," Lake Forest College Head Coach Ken Davis stated. "Credit to UIC for controlling the tempo and hitting free throws late. Coach McClain will do a great job at UIC and we wish them the best of luck this season."
The Foresters will open up the regular season at home Saturday, November 14, when the University of Wisconsin-Platteville comes to town. Tip-off will be at 3:00 p.m. and all Forester parents will be recognized on Parents Day.