Teodora Zagorac logged her first career double-double, and the Flames got a balanced attack on both ends of the floor in a season opening 84-48 victory over Lake Forest.
The Foresters scored the first basket of the game, but Zagorac turned one of her four offensive rebounds into a layup to cap a quick 6-0 run and the Flames never trailed again. Later in the first period, UIC initiated a full court press that immediately paid dividends, with Zagorac making the steal and dishing to
Catera Etheridge for an easy layup. The Flames ended the game with 56 points in the paint.
Kiki Bynes provided an early spark off the bench, making her first four shots from the floor and logging 11 points in just eight first half minutes. She paced the Flames with five assists and made a buzzer-beating layup to send the game to halftime with UIC up 43-18. The Flames forced 14 turnovers in the first half and pressured the Foresters into missing five shots from within two feet.
The Flames quickly vanquished any hopes Lake Forest had for a comeback by going on a 9-0 run over 3:09 in the middle of the third quarter. Even when up by over 30 points, UIC showed tenacity and hustle exemplified by a
Melita Emanuel-Carr steal of an inbounds pass, which she then saved under the basket to Zagorac for a crowd-pleasing layup.
Terri Bender saw her first action since injuring her knee last December, and exhibited veteran leadership while scoring five points and handing out four assists, grabbing five rebounds, and making three steals in just 17 minutes of action. Ten Flames logged double-digit minutes, and they all scored at least four points and grabbed at least two rebounds.
UIC won their season opener for the third straight year and scored the most points in an opener since 2006. They'll return to action Monday night against Illinois State at the UIC Pavilion at 7:00 pm.
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