DAYTON, Ohio – UIC was held to only 16 field goals Sunday afternoon and the Flames committed 16 turnovers as Wright State captured the regular season finale at the Ervin J. Nutter Center, 87-49.
 
Sophomore Michael Kolawole scored a career-high 18 points off the bench for the Flames, but no other UIC player reached double figures in the contest. On the other side, WSU's Steven Davis matched a career high with 27 points with the help of five 3-pointers as he played his final home game in a Raider uniform.
 
How It Happened

• UIC scored the first basket of the game when Marcus Ottey knifed through the lane and got a layup to go 15 seconds into the ballgame, but after that make the Flames struggled from the field in the early going. Wright State built a 10-point lead before Michael Kolawole stepped into a 3-pointer at the top of the key and rang it home with 6:56 gone by in the first period.
• The Flames methodically chipped away and eventual cut the deficit in half to five points on a couple of occasions, most recently when Dominique Matthews split a pair from the free throw line with 8:15 left in the first half.
• UIC was unable to build any momentum, however, and the Raiders limited the Flames to only two field goals and eight points over the final eight minutes. Meanwhile Wright State tallied 24 points over the rest of the half to take a 21-point lead into the locker room at the break.
• Kolawole led UIC with six points off the bench in the first half.
• The Flames were unable to cut into Wright State's sizable lead at any point in the second half. The Raiders opened the have by scoring 11 of the first 13 points to push the lead to 30 points.
• UIC closed the game on a 9-0 run over the final 2:32 of the game with Marcus Ottey's 3-pointer with 42 seconds to go serving as the game's final field goal.

 Beyond The Box Score

• Kolawole eclipsed his previous career high in scoring, which also came against Wright State, on a free throw with two minutes remaining. In two games against the Raiders this season, the sophomore averaged 17.5 points while shooting 60 percent from the field.
• UIC scored a season-low 49 points Sunday. The team's previous low score (57) came in a one-point loss at home to Oakland on Jan. 8. The team's three made 3-pointers were the fewest in Horizon League play.
• The Flames were credited with a season-low four assists on 16 field goals.
• After being sent to the free throw line only eight times in its last game at Northern Kentucky, UIC made 22 trips Sunday. The team scored 14 points from the charity stripe, led by five from Kolawole.
• UIC finished the regular season with 14 wins overall and seven in Horizon League play. The improved overall by nine wins in the regular season and four in conference play.

 What's Next?

• The Flames will shift their attention to postseason play, having secured the sixth seed in the upcoming Horizon League Tournament. Their first game will be against the third seed, either Northern Kentucky or Green Bay, on Sunday, March 5 at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT.
• For the second consecutive season, the conference tournament, dubbed Motor City Madness, will be held at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich.
• Tickets to #MotorCityMadness are available by calling 312-413-UIC1 (8421) or by visiting www.motorcitymadness.horizonleague.com.