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Schilb scores 28 to led Loyola over Butler

Feb 23, 2007 - 6:53 AM INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Blake Schilb did not allow Butler to take advantage of a golden opportunity. In doing so, Loyola-Chicago made some history of its own.

Schilb scored 28 points and Tracy Robinson connected on five free throws in the final 36 seconds as Loyola-Chicago won its seventh straight game, 75-71, over No. 15 Butler in a Horizon League contest.

Majak Kuo scored 13 points for the Ramblers (20-9, 10-5 Horizon), who won their first game against a ranked opponent since 1986 and recorded 10 wins in conference play for the first time since the 1984-85 season.

"I'm just real proud of our guys," Loyola coach Jim Whitesell said. "This was a great team win over a great Butler team."

If that was not enough, Loyola matched its longest winning streak since 1992 and snapped a 17-game losing streak at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

With a loss earlier Thursday by Wright State, which entered the night with a one-half game lead over Butler (25-5, 12-3), the Bulldogs could have won the conference outright and secured homecourt advantage throughout the league tournament with a win against Loyola and another on Saturday vs. Detroit.

But Schilb overpowered smaller defenders and outquicked bigger ones en route to 7-of-14 shooting. He made 3-of-5 from the arc, 11-of-15 from the line and also handed out five assists.

Schilb scored nine points down the stretch before his teammates picked up the slack. Andy Polka scored on a three-point play with 77 seconds left for a 70-69 lead before Robinson, a 57 percent foul shooter, converted 5-of-6 free throws to salt away the victory.

A.J. Graves scored 24 points, but missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 18 seconds left, and Mike Green added 23 for Butler, which has lost two straight and three of five.

Butler took control early in the contest before a 3-pointer by Schilb ignited a 9-2 run for the Ramblers, who led, 38-33 at the half. Loyola scored the first seven points after intermission before Butler closed within four. Two free throws by Brandon Crone with seven minutes left gave the Bulldogs a 58-57 lead.