CHICAGO –  UIC maintained the lead for more than 30 minutes on Sunday afternoon, but in a contest that saw both teams shoot at least 50 percent from the field, it was Wright State that narrowly escaped the Windy City with an 88-86 victory.
 
After being held scoreless on Friday night against Northern Kentucky, UIC sophomore Michael Kolawole erupted for a career-high 17 points on 6-of-11 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Freshman Tarkus Ferguson finished the afternoon one assist shy of his first career triple-double by contributing 14 points, 10 rebounds and nine helpers.
 
Wright State was led offensively by Mark Alstork and his game-high 24 points. Justin Mitchell helped out with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
 
UIC led 43-39 at the half Sunday. The loss at the hands of the Raiders marked only the second time in 11 chances that the fell when leading after 20 minutes of play.
 
How It Happened

• It was a fairly even start to the game with teams trading baskets and the lead exchanging hands eight times over the first 4:05 of the ballgame. With the Raiders on top, 11-10, UIC's Godwin Boahen canned a 3-pointer that gave UIC a two-point lead with 15:38 to go in the first period.
• About two minutes after Boahen's big basket, Dominique Matthews sank a jumper that sparked a 10-0 run that took all of 2:05 and gave the Flames a 25-13 lead. Boahen scored the final five points of the surge by himself with a pair of free throws and another connection from downtown.
• Wright State methodically chipped away and used a 9-0 run of its own to pull within one point thanks to a layup from Mike LaTulip. Boahen had an answer, however, and on the next possession he knifed inside to score and end a drought that spanned over five minutes.
• Boahen ignited another push by the home team, this time a nine-point burst that was capped on a 3-pointer from Kyle Guice that gave UIC a 39-29 lead with under four minutes to go in the half.
• The Raiders made it a one-possession game with 72 seconds left in the stanza with a 3-pointer from LaTulip. Kolawole answered at the other end to give the Flames a 43-39 lead at the break.
• Six minutes into the second period, Ferguson found K.J. Santos for a vicious two-handed slam that put UIC in front, 55-49.
• The Flames extended the lead to seven points on a couple of occasions; first on a Matthews jumper with 10:38 to go, and later thanks to another 3-pointer from Guice with exactly nine minutes to go.
• Wright State tied the game at 72 points apiece less than four minutes later, and they soon pushed the lead to four points with 4:23 left before Kolawole connected on a pair of attempts from the charity stripe.
• The visitors still held the edge in the final minute when the Flames pieced together a ferocious final push. UIC trailed by five with just over a minute left when they got a defensive stop they so desperately needed. After a couple of missed shots and huge offensive rebounds from Clint Robinson and Kolawole, Ferguson eventually found a seam for a layup with 31.6 seconds on the clock.
• The Flames used their final timeout to set up the defense, but Alstork was able to get to the line himself, making a pair to put WSU ahead by five once again. UIC got another critical offensive carom from Robinson and the junior found Matthews on the right wing for a 3-pointer that splashed home and got squad within two.
• Wright State's Mitchell was fouled at the other end and he missed both free throws, giving UIC a shot to tie the game or take the lead. UIC got a good look inside, but the shot didn't fall and Wright State rebounded the errant attempt.
• Mitchell was fouled again and this time he split the pair. Guice rebounded the second attempt and got the ball up to Kolawole and he was fouled with 2.6 seconds remaining. After making the first shot with ease, the Rowlett, Texas, native intentionally missed the second try. UIC's Tai Odiase was the first to get a hand on the ball, but his attempt to tip out toward an open shooter landed in Mithcell's hands, giving the Raiders an 88-86 victory.

 Beyond The Box Score

• Ferguson matched career highs in both rebounds (10) and assists (9). He has posted 10 rebounds three times and nine assists twice. He has three double-doubles in his inaugural collegiate campaign, all of which have come during Horizon League play.
• Ferguson is averaging 6.8 assists per game in four contests since Jan. 17.
• Kolawole became the eight different UIC player to lead the Flames in scoring in a game this season. Since entering the starting lineup on Jan. 12 at Cleveland State he is averaging 7.7 points and four rebounds per game (4.1 ppg and 1.1 rpg prior).
• Boahen scored all 14 of his points in the first half. Six of those points came from beyond the arc and the freshman is tied for second in the Horizon League in 3-point shooting at 42.5 percent.
• As a team, UIC converted 82.4 percent of its free-throw attempts Sunday. It is the third time eclipsing 80 percent, and the fourth time making at least 28 shots from the charity stripe. Five different Flames made at least four free throws against Wright State. Both Boahen and Robinson were a perfect 4-of-4.
• UIC's bench outscored Wright State's, 26-21. Matthews paced the second unit with 14 points, while Guice added eight in 15 minutes. Matthews netted 12 of his 14 points in the second half.
• The Flames were on the wrong end of the decision for the first time when shooting at least 50 percent. The squad is now 4-1 when hitting that mark and 0-4 when the opponent does so.
• UIC is 9-2 when leading at the half. The two defeats have come by a combined three points to Oakland (Jan. 8) and Wright State (Sunday).
• UIC, which has dropped three in a row for the first time all season, moved to 7-3 following a defeat.
• Wright State moved ahead in the all-time series, 28-27. The Raiders snapped a three-game winless streak inside the UIC Pavilion.

 What's Next?

• UIC will be back on the road next weekend with a two-game swing through Wisconsin.
• The trip begins on Thursday, Feb. 2, when the Flames will be in Green Bay to take on the Phoenix at the Resch Center at 7 p.m. Green is the only Horizon League team that UIC has yet to play against this season.
• The weekend concludes on Saturday, Feb. 4 with a matinee at Milwaukee. The Flames handled the Panthers in the first meeting between the two squads on Jan. 17 in Chicago, 71-57.