EDWARDSVILLE—Mark Yelovich’s basket as time ran out gave Southern Illinois-Edwardsville a 64-62 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday.The Cougars (8-16) rallied from a 12-point deficit in their season home finale behind Yelovich, who scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half.Kris Davis scored 14 points for SIUE, which has three road games remaining.Abdel Nader and Tony Nixon had 12 points each for Northern Illinois (3-22), which fell to 0-11 on the road this season. Nader also had a game-high eight rebounds.The Huskies tied the game at 62 with 27 seconds left on Aksel Bolin’s layup before Yelovich’s game-winning shot.The game was part of the BracketBusters series.

The Bulls understand they’ll be better off once Derrick Rose returns.No need to rush, though. They keep winning even with their star sidelined.Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng each scored 23 points, and the Bulls escaped with an 89-80 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night after blowing a 16-point lead.It was hardly an easy night for the Bulls, but they won again even though Rose, the reigning MVP, missed his fourth straight game because of lower back pain.For now, they’re getting by. It hasn’t been easy the past few games, though.The Bulls struggled early before going on a big run that gave them a 16-point lead in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Boston came roaring back and was up 61-60 early in the fourth after Chris Wilcox’s alley-oop dunk, but a 12-point run broke a 69-69 tie and sent the Hawks to their seventh win in eight games.Taj Gibson’s layup four minutes into the quarter started the decisive rally. Deng sandwiched a 3-pointer and layup around a free throw by Kyle Korver, and Boozer capped the rally with a pair of layups that made it 81-69, giving the Bulls their league-leading 25th win.Deng had another big game, finishing with 10 assists after dishing out a career-high 11 and scoring 23 in Tuesday’s win over Sacramento.Boozer hit 11 of 15 shots and grabbed 15 rebounds, and Joakim Noah added 15 points and 16 rebounds. The Bulls dominated on the boards 52-37 even though they got outrebounded 15-10 in the first quarter, and they avenged a loss at Boston on Sunday.By the end of the game, the Bulls had a 16-6 edge in offensive rebounds and 12-6 advantage in second-chance points.The Celtics lost for the fourth time in five games even though Kevin Garnett finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds after sitting out the previous night against Detroit with a hip flexor.Rajon Rondo had 17 points and eight assists, but had his difficulties with Mike James guarding him. Paul Pierce scored 14, and Ray Allen finished with 12 points after a slow start, but the Celtics came up short.The Bulls appeared to be in good shape leading 51-35 early in the third after Boozer capped a 22-2 run with a dunk, but after blowing nearly all of a 19-point lead against Sacramento on Tuesday, they watched as the Celtics came storming back.Allen found his stroke, hitting three 3-pointers as Boston pulled within one going into the fourth. And Wilcox’s alley-oop from Rondo in the opening seconds of the fourth gave Boston a short-lived a 61-60 lead.This time, the Bulls seized it. They came out on top even though, at times, they looked like they missed their MVP. Rose took some free throws at the morning shootaround, but wasn’t able to run. Thibodeau said he is “feeling a lot better” but remains day to day.He has missed nine games this season because of back and toe problems after sitting out a total of six in his first three years, but the Bulls were breathing a little easier this week after a back specialist confirmed there was no structural damage.

NOTES—Thibodeau said G Richard Hamilton is “making good progress.” The veteran remains sidelined by an injured right thigh…..This was the start of a five-game trip for Boston.

NEW YORK—Jonathan Toews scored on a penalty shot to start a four-goal first period against New York backup Martin Biron, and the Blackhawks emphatically snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers on Thursday.Toews kicked off the spree just over a minute in, defenseman Nick Leddy doubled the lead 1:03 later, and Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa added goals to make it 4-0 before 10 minutes had elapsed. Corey Crawford kept things mostly intact the rest of the way, stopping 22 shots to help the Blackhawks earn their first win since they topped Florida on Jan. 20.Toews and Hossa both added assists in the first period, and defenseman Brent Seabrook set up two goals for the Blackhawks, who scored over three goals in a game only once during their losing streak (0-8-1). The Hawks, who had 22 shots, were 0-6-1 during the first seven games of a nine-game trip that ends Saturday at Columbus.The Rangers went 0 for 7 on the power play and missed a chance to jump over Detroit to the top of the NHL standings as their four-game winning streak was broken. New York had won eight of 10 (8-1-1) to open a seven-point lead in the East over defending Stanley Cup champion Boston.New York came out much better in the second period, pressuring Crawford and drawing penalties, but the early deficit was too much to overcome. Defenseman Marc Staal wrecked Crawford’s hopes of a shutout when he brought the Rangers to 4-1 at 3:04 of the second period with his first goal of the season.Carl Hagelin scored with 4:45 left to make it 4-2.Crawford bounced back from a loss to San Jose on Friday night, in which he gave up five goals on 27 shots, and won for the first time since Jan. 18. Ray Emery was the starter and loser in the Blackhawks’ previous two games.Even with their long skid, the Blackhawks are still in a playoff position in the West, sitting in sixth place.They weathered the Rangers’ second-period surge and overcome a near second goal for New York. The Rangers thought Marian Gaborik shoved a shot in, but the puck sat on the goal line and wasn’t pushed all the way into the net by Ryan Callahan until after the whistle blew.Biron was blitzed for four goals on the Hawks first seven shots, although the onslaught wasn’t all his fault. The frustrated Blackhawks connected on a penalty shot and two breakaways — finding space between Biron’s old-school brown pads consistently.Toews struck just 1:04 in after Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi was caught covering the puck in the crease when Biron couldn’t control a rebound. The captain streaked down the middle of the ice on the penalty shot and fired a shot that beat Biron and smacked off the pad at the back of the net.Leddy doubled the lead 1:03 later when his shot from inside the center of the blue line made its way in through traffic.Girardi found himself in the middle of another Hawk goal, but this time he was down in the offensive zone while the Blackhawks raced the other way. Girardi lost his stick in the Hawk end, and forced the Rangers to stay out of the zone while he retrieved it, as to avoid being offside.New York turned over the puck, and Toews found Sharp with a long pass to send him in on a breakaway. Sharp split Biron’s pads with a shot to make it 3-0 just 4 minutes in, prompting annoyed Rangers fans to break into chants of “Hen-rik! Hen-rik!” while helpless No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist sat on the bench.When Biron stopped a shot from Seabrook from the other end of the ice — measured at 132 feet — he received a mock cheer from the annoyed crowd that has grown accustomed to good defense and winning hockey.Hossa stretched the lead to 4-0 at 9:38 on the Blackhawks’ seventh shot of the period. Patrick Kane sent the high-scoring forward in on another breakaway for his 22nd goal of the season. Rangers coach John Tortorella then used his lone timeout, but there was little he could say to his team at that point.The most goals the Rangers had allowed in a game was five to Ottawa on Oct. 29. They had given up a season-worst three goals in a period three times this season.In comparison, Lundqvist has yielded only seven goals in six outings in February.

NOTES—The Rangers honored the memory of former Mets catcher Gary Carter, who died Thursday, during a first-period stoppage. … Crawford was 0-4-1 in his previous five outings. … Callahan had a four-game goal streak broken. … Toews leads the Blackhawks with 14 goals and 16 assists on the road.

CHAMPAIGN—Robbie Hummel scored 19 points and three other Boilermakers scored in double figures Wednesday night, helping Purdue hold off struggling Illinois 67-62.Lewis Jackson and D.J. Byrd added 13 points each and Terone Johnson scored 12 for Purdue (17-9, 7-6 Big Ten).The Illini (16-10, 5-8) repeatedly closed to within two over the game’s final 10 minutes. But the Boilermakers found a way to climb away every time.The last came on Hummel’s free throw with 19.5 seconds to play that put the Boilers up 65-62. With Illinois forced to foul, Hummel then sank two more.Freshman Tracy Abrams led Illinois with a career-high 22 points. Brandon Paul added 19 points.Illinois has lost seven of eight while Purdue has won two straight to stay in the top half of the Big Ten.

Coach Bruce Weber had an uncharacteristic ‘melt down’ during his post game new conference.”Instead of creating toughness and developing a team, I coach not to lose all year, and that’s really sad,” Weber said.Paul committed four turnovers, missed a three-point attempt with nine seconds to play for Illinois.

“I don’t know what he was thinking, to be honest,” Weber said. “D.J. [Richardson] was going to screen the inbounder, and Brandon didn’t have the shot. Obviously, he made a bad decision.”

Meyers Leonard had 12 rebounds and scored nine points. Leonard, who has been in foul trouble lately, played with three fouls for most of the second half.

‘‘He was an animal in the second half,” Weber said. “[But] Meyers can’t have horrible body language. In the first half, he walked around like this is our desperate game. It can’t happen. He’s got to change.”

Weber sounded like a Coach who already feels he will not be retained after this season.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—Tom Crean’s first 20-win season at Indiana came with some fitting benchmarks.A freshman credited with turning the program around led the way again. An injured senior who survived a six-win season closed it out. And, of course, the Hoosiers had to scrap for another 40 minutes to pull off the win. Cody Zeller, the freshman, finished with 23 points and Verdell Jones scored all six of his points in the final 4:03, leading No. 18 Indiana past Northwestern 71-66 for a milestone victory that had Crean’s fingerprints all over it. The Hoosiers (20-6, 8-6 Big Ten) understand just how remarkable this turnaround has been. After posting three straight losing seasons for only the third time in school history, fans just wanted to celebrate a winning season. Instead, the Hoosiers have given them so much more. They upset No. 1 Kentucky and then No. 2 Ohio State in December, becoming the first Big Ten team in nearly six decades to beat the nation’s top two teams in the same season. They’ve gone 15-1 at home, and now, for the first time in Crean’s four seasons here, the Hoosiers have a 20-win season, too.The primary reasons for the sudden success are the emergence of Zeller and the toughness of the seniors — a combination that was on full display Wednesday.Jones had missed the previous 2 ½ games with a bruised right shoulder and didn’t look like himself in the first half. But with the teams trading baskets and playing to a stalemate, Jones dug down late and proved the difference.He broke a 63-63 tie with a 15-foot baseline jumper, extended the lead to 67-63 with a layup and then sealed the victory with a long jumper from the left wing that was originally ruled a 3 but overturned on a replay review.It doesn’t get better than that Jones wasn’t the only Indiana player in sync against Northwestern (15-10, 5-8).Zeller again provided the inside presence, missing only two of 11 shots. He finished with seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and, at times, carried the Hoosiers’ offense.Christian Watford and Victor Oladipo each had 12 points and the Hoosiers overcame a season-low 15.4 percent shooting effort from 3-point range by limiting the Wildcats to 6 of 20 from beyond the arc.John Shurna led the Wildcats with 29 points and Drew Crawford added 18, but they didn’t get enough help from their teammates. Northwestern was outscored 22-1 off the bench, and just couldn’t keep up with Jones’ late surge.As usual, though, Carmody’s team made it tough.After winning six of the last seven against Indiana, Northwestern came to Bloomington trying to get the kind of win that would impress the NCAA’s tournament selection committee.They almost did.Northwestern erased a 28-21 deficit with an 8-2 run late in the first half, but after closing to 30-29, the Hoosiers extended the lead to 37-31 at the half.It didn’t last long. The Wildcats opened the second half on a 12-2 run to take a 43-39 lead on Shurna’s tip-in with 16:51 to go. Zeller and Will Sheehey then rallied the Hoosiers, scoring all of the points in a 10-2 run that gave Indiana a 49-45 advantage.The back-and-forth went on the rest of the night, until Jones changed the game with his midrange jumper and the ensuing layup to make it 67-63 with 2:49 to go and then sealed it with the long range shot with 29.4 seconds left.

STORRS—Shabazz Napier and Alex Oriakhi each put up double-doubles and Connecticut, playing its fourth straight game without ailing coach Jim Calhoun, beat DePaul 80-54 on Wednesday night.Napier had 14 points and 11 assists and Oriakhi scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Huskies (16-9, 6-7 Big East), who snapped a two game losing streak. Jeremy Lamb led the team with 18 points and Andre Drummond had 15 points and nine rebounds.Jeremiah Kelly had 16 points and Cleveland Melvin scored 11 to lead DePaul (11-14, 2-11), which has lost five in a row.UConn improves to 2-2 since Calhoun took an indefinite medical leave of absence suffering from spinal stenosis.The Huskies had lost six of their last seven games and won for just the fourth time in 2012, breaking the 70-point barrier for the first time since New Year’s Eve.Connecticut never trailed in this one.The Huskies scored the game’s first eight points, forcing Oliver Purnell to take a timeout just over 3 minutes into the first half. A 10-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from DeAndre Daniels, gave the Huskies a 22-8 lead and forced another DePaul timeout.The Huskies shot just 36 percent from the floor (14 for 39) in the first half, but led 34-24 at halftime by holding DePaul to just 11 baskets and outrebounding the Blue Devils 28-17.Connecticut dominated the boards, outrebounding DePaul 50-27, including 20-7 on the offensive end.UConn opened the second half on a 15-4 run and led 49-29 after a pair of dunks by Drummond, and a fast-break layup from Napier.DePaul was able to cut the lead to 14, but couldn’t get any closer.The Huskies have won seven of their last eight meetings between the two schools, including the last six.DePaul has lost 10 of its last 11, and has just two conference wins. Melvin, who had originally committed to UConn before changing his mind in 2010, had been averaging over 18 points a game. He hit just five of his 14 shots against the Huskies.UConn was coming off road losses to Louisville and Syracuse. The Huskies, who had been averaging just over 60 points a game in their last 11, improved to 4-8 in 2012.Calhoun missed his fourth game on Wednesday as a result of spinal stenosis, and also will miss Saturday’s game against Marquette and Monday’s game against Villanova.The coach, who has been experiencing back pain since last summer, took an indefinite leave of absence on Feb. 3.Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spine, normally associated with aging and sometimes with arthritis. If physical therapy and medicines aren’t effective, he may have to consider surgery.The Huskies also placed two more names on the “Huskies of Honor” wall at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday. Worthington “Worthy” Patterson hit the game-winning shot against Holy Cross that sent UConn into the 1954 NCAA tournament. He was the first UConn player to head to the NBA, playing with the St. Louis Hawks in 1957-58.Bill Corley, who died in 1999, averaged almost 17 points and 14 rebounds a game. He set the school’s single-game scoring record of 51 points against New Hampshire in January, 1968.

Luol Deng figures the Bulls will have to find creative ways to win as long as Derrick Rose is sidelined.This wasn’t what he had in mind. The Bulls will take it, though.Deng came through with 23 points and a career-high 11 assists, and the Bulls escaped with a 121-115 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night after a 19-point, fourth-quarter lead dwindled to two.Joakim Noah added 22 points and 11 rebounds. Kyle Korver scored 18, hitting four free throws in the final 17.6 seconds. Carlos Boozer scored 16, Taj Gibson added 15 points, and the Bulls came away with the win — barely — even though Rose missed his third straight game with lower back spasms.The victory clinched the Eastern Conference coaching spot at the All-Star game for the Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau.DeMarcus Cousins led Sacramento with 28 points and 17 rebounds. Tyreke Evans scored 27, and Marcus Thornton added 23 points for the Kings, who made things extremely interesting down the stretch. Two free throws by Evans with 19 seconds left made it 115-112. Korver answered with two of his own, but the drama wasn’t over.Thornton nailed a 3 to make it a two-point game with 14.8 seconds left, but Korver immediately hit two more foul shots to boost the lead to 119-115. Deng then hit two free throws with 8.8 seconds left to seal the win.Winning them is a different story. Sacramento is last in the Pacific Division at 10-18 and is just 3-13 on the road. This seemed like a mismatch despite Rose’s absence, but the Kings hung with the Eastern Conference leaders even when it looked like the Bulls had put this one away.Sacramento was within eight in late in the third when Deng buried a corner 3 with just under a minute left. That started a 12-1 run that bumped the Bulls lead to 97-78, but the Bulls couldn’t breathe too easily.They did, however, let out a big sigh of relief in the end.The dramatic win came on the heels of a 6-3 trip that matched their longest since the 1992-93 season, and they did it without their superstar point guard.The question is: Will the injuries take a toll eventually? Rose didn’t have a target date for his return. Boston visits Thursday, and he wasn’t sure if he’d be ready to play against Rajon Rondo and the Celtics. One thing was clear, though. Rose was certainly breathing a little easier.A specialist confirmed Monday that there was no structural damage, and that was a big relief for him and a team eyeing a championship. This hasn’t been an easy season for Rose even though he’s averaging 22.0 points and 7.8 assists. Between the bad back and a problem with his left big toe, he’s missed eight games this season after sitting out six over his first three years.

NOTES—Richard Hamilton , who remains sidelined by a right thigh injury, rejoined the Bulls after tending to a family issue. He posted on Twitter that his grandmother died….Mike James signed a 10-day contract. He appeared in three games for the Bulls before being waived on Jan. 28. Kings rookie Jimmer Fredette, nursing an upset stomach, did not play.

NASHVILLE—Nashville rookie defenseman Ryan Ellis rebounded in a big way for the Predators. After being listed as a healthy scratch against Boston on Saturday, Ellis bounced back with the go-ahead goal and the Predators handed the Blackhawks their ninth consecutive loss, 3-2 on Tuesday.Ellis also added an assist for his third multi-point game of the season.The Predators stopped a three-game skid.Ellis’ goal was a one-timer from high above the right circle at 14:18 of the third period that deflected off Duncan Keith. The Predators had 19 shots on goal. Ellis earned points on both of his shots.Marian Hossa tied it at 2-2 with a wrist shot from above the right circle at 6:05 of the third that bounced off Nashville’s Roman Josi. It was his 21st goal of the season.Ryan Suter opened the scoring against Ray Emery with a shot from high in the slot near the left circle that went into the right side of the net at 18:20 of the first period.Emery had 16 saves. Bryan Bickell tied the game 46 seconds later. His wrist shot from high in the slot beat Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne to his stick side.Rinne finished with 30 saves. He sensed the Blackhawks getting stronger as the game went on.Nick Spaling put the Predators back in front 2-1 at 17:21 of the second period. Ellis sent a shot from the point that deflected high off Spaling’s stick and into the net. It was the type of play that adds to the frustrations of the Blackhawks.

NOTES—Nashville’s Patric Hornqvist sat out the game with an upper body injury and is listed day to day…..Suter has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in his past nine games…..This was the seventh of nine consecutive road games for the Blackhawks.

INDIANAPOLIS—Chrishawn Hopkins scored 13 points and Andrew Smith and Khyle Marshall 12 apiece to lead Butler to a 63-57 victory against Loyola on Tuesday night.Erik Fromm had 10 points for the Bulldogs (16-12, 10-6 Horizon League), who in the second half held a steady two-possession lead that was protected at the free-throw line in the final two minutes.Ben Averkamp scored 23 points for the Ramblers (6-19, 1-14).Butler, which shot 52.5 percent (21 of 40) from the floor, won a 10th conference game for the seventh straight season, a Horizon League record.

VALPARAISO—Richie Edwards had 19 points and Matt Kenney added 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks as Valparaiso heated up after halftime to beat UIC 74-65 on Tuesday night.Kevin Van Wijk scored 11 points for the Crusaders (19-9, 12-4 Horizon League), who in the second half shot 13 of 18 (72.2 percent) from the floor and made 8 of 9 3-point attempts.Valpo is closing in on the conference regular-season title thanks to second-place Cleveland State’s loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday. The Crusaders, who hold the tiebreaker against Cleveland State (20-7, 10-5) can clinch first place with a victory against Loyola on Feb. 21.Gary Talton and Hayden Humes scored 15 points each for the Flames (7-18, 3-12).Valpo trailed 37-27 at halftime. A 20-9 run over a 7:22 stretch of the second half was culminated when Jay Harris hit a 3-pointer to give the Crusaders their first lead, 48-47, with 11:03 remaining.Darrin Williams had 13 points and seven rebounds for UIC.