Injured guard rallies teammates with play of game:
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - It was a night sophomore Mike Tisdale always will remember, but not for all the reasons one might think.The Illinois center scored six of his career-high 20 points in overtime Friday as Illinois rallied to beat Kent State 69-63 in the semifinals of the South Padre Island Invitational. Mike Davis (17 points, 13 rebounds) made three free throws in the final 22 seconds for the Illini (5-0).But Tisdale and his teammates also will remember a courageous performance from senior guard Chester Frazier.With the score tied 62-62, Frazier, playing with a deep thigh bruise, launched himself over the Illinois bench to keep the ball in bounds and keep an overtime possession alive.
"That was the play of the game," Tisdale said.The Illini didn't score on the possession, but the emotional lift was palpable."Somebody had to pick it up, Chester started doing it, and it was contagious," said Tisdale, who had seven rebounds and three blocked shots.To make the play, Frazier sailed over a ducking 6-9 freshman Stan Simpson, with whom he collided in practice Thursday when he got the bruise that made it difficult for him to walk for a time. But Frazier played 42 of the 45 minutes against Kent State, scored seven points, led everyone with eight assists and turned the ball over just once.
Frazier played the lead role in holding Kent State (3-1) leading scorer Al Fisher to 18 points, five below his average. Farragut grad Chris Singletary added 15 for the Mid-American Conference preseason favorites."You have to give Chester so much credit," Weber said. "He couldn't even go to shootaround and do anything. He plays with a big heart and he plays to win."
