MILWAUKEE, Wis. –  UIC needed all 105 points it scored in a thrilling overtime victory at Milwaukee on Saturday afternoon. The Flames led by as many as 13 points on the road before knocking out the Panthers, 105-100, at UWM Panther Arena.
 
UIC (12-12, 4-6 Horizon League) had its best performance of the season from the field, as it shot 61 percent. The Flames were scoring both inside and out as they posted 42 points in the paint and another 45 from beyond the arc. The squad's 15 3-pointers marked both a season high and the most in 54 games under head coach Steve McClain.
 
Several young UIC standouts turned in memorable efforts. Freshman Tarkus Ferguson scored a career-high 25 points, including 12 in the overtime period. The Belleville, Ill., native also dished out a career-best 11 assists. Redshirt freshman Dominique Matthews was close behind in the scoring column as he netted a career-high 23 points with a career-best four 3-pointers. Finally, K.J. Santos buried a personal-best five triples for the Flames en route to a career-best 19 points.

It was the second time this season that Flames scored at least 100 points, and the first time any UIC squad eclipsed the century mark in an Horizon League game since Jan. 9, 2003 at Milwaukee. The team's 105 points were the most since hanging 112 on the Panthers in a six-point triumph that took four overtimes to decide.
 
How It Happened

• The teams needed an extra five minutes to decide the outcome after Milwaukee closed regulation on an improbable 7-0 run in the final minute. A pair of free throws from UIC's Michael Kolawole put the Flames ahead 85-78 with 46.1 seconds remaining. A 3-pointer anf four free throws eventually helped even the score with about eight seconds remaining. Matthews got a look from downtown in the waning seconds, but his attempt was off the mark.
• Ferguson entered the extra session with 13 points on the afternoon, but he took over right away. The guard scored UIC's first seven points of the session to put the visitors on top, 92-87, less than 30 seconds into overtime.
• The Flames led by two points with under two minutes to go when two freshmen stepped up once again in a big way. Ferguson found Santos open on the perimeter and the latter stepped up and drilled his career-best fifth 3-pointer of the night. UWM's Brock Stull got one on the other end for the Panthers before Matthews converted the old fashion 3-point play with 49.6 seconds remaining to regain the five-point lead.
• UIC converted 10 of its 11 attempts from the free throw line in overtime to salt away a five-point victory, 105-100.
• The Flames' offense was humming earlier in the second half as the Flames pushed the lead to a game-high 13 points, 60-57, after Santos splashed home a 3-pointer. The shot was part of an 11-3 run, in which Ferguson and Santos scored all 11 points.
• The lead reached 13 points a second time when Kyle Guice drilled one of his two 3-point baskets with 9:40 remaining in the game.
• In the first half it was Matthews who did a lot of the heavy lifting. The redshirt freshman netted 15 of his 23 points in the first half, thanks in part to three 3-pointers. The game was tied at 11 with 8:12 gone by when he made his first shot from downtown. That basket sparked a 13-5 run that also featured a 3-ball from Godwin Boahen and another from Matthews.
• UIC led by as many as 10 points in the first half. The first such occasion came when Guice rifled a no-look pass to Tai Odiase, who was able to flush it home with a two-handed slam with 1:47 to go in the period. The second time came just over one minute late when Odiase knocked down a short jumper. The Flames led at the break, 44-37.

Beyond The Box Score

• The Flames posted their best-ever field goal percentage under head coach Steve McClain, 61 percent (36-of-59). The team's 15 total 3-point field goals are the most under McClain, as well.
• The squad shot 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from beyond the arc in the second half and overtime. After starting 1-of-6 from downtown (16.7 percent), UIC converted at a clip of 63.6 percent from 3-point range over the rest of the game.
• UIC shot more free throws in overtime (11) than in the first 40 minutes of the game combined (10). The squad shot 85.7 percent (18-of-21) from the charity stripe. It was the fourth time this season that the group eclipsed 80 percent from the line, and the second time in the last three games (82.4 percent vs. Wright St.).
• UIC moved to 2-0 this season, and 24-2 in its Division I era, when scoring at least 100 points as it did Saturday. The last three times that the Flames have hit that mark in Horizon League play have all come against Milwaukee (105 on Saturday; 102 on Jan. 9, 2003; 112 on Jan. 11, 2001).
• Ferguson registered his fourth double-double of the season with career highs in both points (25) and assists (11). He also added two steals and a block in a career-high (and game-high) 41 minutes.
• Both Matthews and Santos set career scoring highs in both games on the two-game road trip. Matthews posted a new personal-best 22 points at Green Bay on Feb. 2 before passing that mark by a point Saturday. Santos went for 17 points against the Phoenix and he netted 19 at Milwaukee.
• Odiase blocked five shots Saturday, marking the fourth time he has posted at least as many rejections in Horizon League play. In two games against Milwaukee, the Glenwood, Ill., native has sent back 11 shots.
• Kolawole led UIC with seven rebounds, becoming the eighth different player on the roster to lead the Flames in that category this season.
• The Flames are 10-2 when leading at the half this season and 4-0 when scoring 90 points or more.
• UIC picked up its fifth win in conference play, which is the most since the 2012-13 season (7).
• The Flames have won three Horizon League road games for the first time since the 2008-09 season (4).

 What's Next?

• The Flames will return to the UIC Pavilion on Thursday, Feb. 9 to host the Youngstown State Penguins at 7 p.m. CT.
• UIC knocked off YSU in the first meeting this season between the two teams, winning 92-89 in overtime on Jan. 14 in northeast Ohio.