YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – For the second year in a row, and the third time since 2013, UIC needed extra time to decide the outcome at Youngstown State. The Flames scored 16 points and shot 67 percent from the field to collect a memorable 92-89 victory at the Beeghly Center.
 
UIC (10-8, 3-2 Horizon League) saw five different players score in double figures led Dominique Matthews and his career-high 21 points. Tarkus Ferguson scored 15 points and added 10 rebounds as he registered his second double-double in Horizon League play, while Kyle Guice posted 12 points on four 3-pointers.
 
It was second consecutive conference victory for the Flames, and the third win in a row away from home. This marks the first time since the 2005-06 season that UIC has won three consecutive road contests during the regular season. The team won its final two regular-season road games in 2009 before knocking off these same Penguins in the first game of the 2009 Horizon League Tournament away from home. This squad has claimed victory in three of their first five Horizon League games for the first time in program annals since the 2007-08 season, when the team also started out 3-2 in League play.
 
How It Happened

• Youngstown State (8-11, 2-4 Horizon League) tied the game at 76 with under 30 seconds to play, but the Flames had the ball and a chance to take the lead. Brett Frantz fouled Ferguson with under eight seconds left, but UIC was not yet in the bonus. He got the ball again in the closing seconds, but the ball was knocked away and the teams readied for overtime.
• The score was tied, 80-80, with less than three minutes to go in the extra period when the Flames began to pull away. Ferguson hit a jumper in the lane to put UIC ahead then rebounded Cameron Morse's miss on the other end. The freshman missed a shot for the Flames, but teammate Godwin Boahen elevated for a critical offensive rebound and soon Guice buried a 3-pointer that gave the Flames a five-point lead, the largest since there was 2:05 remaining in regulation.
• The burst continued when Matthews scored a layup with 1:06 remaining giving him a career-high 21 points, and UIC its largest lead of the game at seven points. The lead ballooned to eight points with 49.6 seconds left.
• Morse hit a pair of deep, contested 3-pointers in the final minute to keep the Penguins afloat, but the Flames escaped with the five point win.
• In the second half, neither team led by more than four points until Guice hit the 3-pointer with 2:05 to go.
• Both teams off to a slow offensive start on Saturday night at the Beeghly Center. The Flames and Penguins held each other scoreless for over three minutes to begin the contest before YSU's Francisco Santiago dented the scoreboard with a layup for the home team with 3:14 gone by.
• With just over 10 minutes remaining in the half, UIC found itself doubled up, behind 12-6, when Ferguson connected from long distance to briefly cut the deficit in half.
• The Flames were behind by seven points with 6:11 to go when Matthews knifed inside and scored to make it 22-17 in favor of the home team.
• Matthews' bucket started a 7-0 run that featured two points from the redshirt freshman and five from newcomer Marcus Ottey, including the game-tying 3-pointer with 4:21 to go in the frame.
• Youngstown was up a deuce when Matthews went to work once again. The Chicagoan drilled a 3-pointer that gave UIC a 27-26 lead. The Flames continued to work hard on both ends of the floor and they took a 30-27 lead into the locker room at the break.

 Beyond The Box Score

• The Flames received an enormous lift from the bench Saturday as the second until tallied a season-high 51 points. The dynamic trio of Matthews (21), Ottey (14) and Guice (12) combined to score 47 of those points with Clint Robinson netting four. It was the 10^th time this season that UIC's bench provided at least 30 points.
• The Flames moved to 8-1 this season when leading at the half and 9-3 when winning the battle on the boards. UIC out-rebounded the Youngstown State, 49-47, Saturday. Ferguson's 10 rebounds led all players.
• The Flames matched a season-high with 11 3-pointers against the Penguins. Guice (4) and Matthews (3) combined for seven of the 11 triples. As a team, UIC made eight of its last 13 attempts (61.5 percent) from beyond the arc after making three of 18 in the first half.
• UIC shot 54.8 percent (23-of-42) in the second half in overtime. In all 18 games this season, the Flames are shooting 50.8 percent in the second half compared to 40.2 percent in the first half.
• Tai Odiase was limited by foul trouble for much of the night, but the junior still managed seven rebounds and two blocks in 16 minutes. The Glenwood, Ill., native is sitting on 199 career rejections.
• UIC won its first overtime game of the season and the second in the two-year tenure of head coach Steve McClain.
• The Flames continued the run of success for Chicago teams in Northeast Ohio of late. UIC won at both Cleveland State (Thursday) and Youngstown State for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
• Ferguson posted his second double-double in UIC's last three games, and the seventh overall for the Flames this season. The Belleville, Ill., native is averaging a team-high 13.6 points and 3.6 assists in five Horizon League games. He is also averaging 6.2 rebounds over the last five outing.
• All nine UIC players who saw action scored at least two points. It was the first time that every player got into the scoring column since Feb. 13, 2016 in a win against Northern Kentucky.

 What's Next?

• The Flames look forward to returning to Chicago to play in front of the home crowd at the UIC Pavilion on Tuesday, Jan. 17, when the Milwaukee Panthers invade town.
• Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and tickets are available by calling 312-413-UIC1 or visiting the Ticket Office online.