UIC's relentless offense started each half on significant scoring runs as the Flames (7-10, 2-2 HL) defeated Green Bay (7-12, 2-4 HL) 84-73 Wednesday night at UIC Pavilion. The Flames shot nearly 60% on the evening and placed four players in double figures, led by
Dikembe Dixson's team-high 23.
The Flames moved back to .500 in Horizon League play with their second straight win. UIC moved to 4-1 in their last five home games. They handed out a team season high 20 assists, paced by
Tarkus Ferguson's career high 12. They raced out to a 13 point lead at the beginning of the game, and never saw the margin dip below 11 until the game's final minute.
First Half Headlines
- Defense Creates Offense: UIC grabbed the lead early thanks to opportunities generated by their defense. Jordan Blount dove to the floor and ruthlessly grabbed the ball away from a Green Bay player. Shortly thereafter, Dikembe Dixson corralled a steal of his own and went coast-to-coast for a layup. Later, consecutive steals led to a highlight reel dunk by Dixson and an up-and-under layup by Marcus Ottey.
- Flames Shut Phoenix Down: While the Flames were scoring at a rapid pace, Green Bay started the game making one of their first 13 field goals spanning the first 8:30. UIC had three blocks and three steals during that span.
- Going Streaking: The Flames got hot and stayed hot through the middle stages of the first half. They made 10 consecutive field goals and led by as many as 21 points.
- Starters Right the Ship: Green Bay rallied with Tai Odiase, Ottey, and Dixson on the bench. They went on a 7-0 run before coach Steve McClain put his starters back in. Ottey put an end to the Phoenix run with a slam dunk that was the first of four straight UIC makes to end the half – a string punctuated by Godwin Boahen's three pointer with time running out.
Second Half Headlines
- Hot Out of the Locker Room: Dikembe Dixson worked his way open in the corner and made a three-pointer on an out of bounds set to net the Flames' first points of the second half. It sparked a 14-2 run during which UIC made all six of its shots and resulted in a 25 point advantage, the home team's largest of the game.
- A Trio of Technical Fouls: Tempers flared after two held balls were called in rapid succession. During the dead ball, Green Bay coach Linc Darner was T'd up, and in the aftermath, Jordan Blount and Khalil Small each got a tech. For Blount, it also counted as his fifth personal foul.
- Phoenix Chip Away: The Phoenix were more aggressive in driving to the rim in the second half, and were rewarded with 12 second-half trips to the free throw line, where they made 10.
- Flames Snuff Phoenix Run: Back-to-back three pointers by Small and Chevalier punctuated a 10-0 run that pulled Green Bay within 11 points with 2:22 to play. Dixson made an acrobatic layup to stop the run, and after a Phoenix timeout Marcus Ottey swished a three-pointer to put the Flames up by 14. UIC effectively handled Green Bay's full court pressure in the final minutes to deny the Phoenix a comeback.
Highlights
News and Notes
- Tai Odiase blocked four shots, moving him over the 300 mark to a total of 301 in his career. Among his rejections were a Phoenix three pointer that forced a shot clock violation, and an emphatic denial in the open court.
- Dikembe Dixson moved into 20th place on UIC's all-time scoring list, passing Marc Brown. His total of 23 gave him 1,039 for his career, just nine shy of Larry Frey's 19th place total.
- Jordan Blount tied his season and career highs with 13 points, and set a new personal standard by making six field goals.
- Tarkus Ferguson's 12 assists were the most by any Flame this season, and the most by any Horizon League player in a conference contest on the season. He eclipsed his previous career high by five.
- Green Bay's 47.1% field goal percentage in the second half boosted their game total to 40.9%, which was still lower than their season average of 42.1% entering play. It was the fourth time in as many conference games that the Flames held their opponent under their season percentage.
- The Flames scored their most points in a Horizon League contest since February 9 of last year, when they beat Youngstown State, 84-81.
- Steve McClain sent out the same starting lineup as he did in UIC's last game against IUPUI. The quintet moved to 2-1 as the starting combination.
- UIC shot a season high 58.2%, and also established a new standard from behind the arc, where they made 44.4% of their shots.
- The Flames shot over 50% for third time this year, the first in Horizon League play, and first time since Dec. 6 against Wisconsin-Parkside.
Postgame Reaction
Up Next
- The Flames' busy stretch of three games in six days continues Friday night.
- UIC will welcome Milwaukee to UIC Pavilion for a 7:00 pm contest.
