LYNCHBURG, Va. – UIC went on the road for the second time in a row in the 10^th CollegeInsider.com Tournament and the Flames singed Liberty at the Vines Center, 67-51, to secure a berth in the tournament championship on Friday night.
 
The Flames (20-15) held LU to just nine field goals in the second half and a shooting percentage of 32.1 percent. UIC's offense was balanced with four players producing double figures. Tarkus Ferguson paced the squad for the second time in a row, pouring in 16 points.
 
UIC, which has won nine consecutive road games, will play at Northern Colorado for the championship on Friday, March 30 at 6 p.m. CT.
 
First Half Headlines

• Taking Advantage Early: Liberty got out to an early lead, outscoring UIC, 12-5, over the first 4:57 of the game. The home team scored five of its first 12 points directly off two turnovers from the visiting Flames.
• Slow and Steady: UIC steadied and slowly cut into Liberty's seven point lead. The Flames used a 7-0 run that was capped by a corner 3-pointer from Jacob Wiley to tie the game at 16 points apiece with just over seven minutes left in the first half. LU was up a basket with 4:06 remaining when Tarkus Ferguson drove the lane, scored, drew a foul and made the free throw to put UIC in front, 23-22, giving the visitors their first since it was 1-0.
• Finish Fast: The Flames from Chicago scored the final five points of the first half, culminating with a layup from Marcus Ottey with about 30 seconds to play that sent UIC to the locker room with a 28-24 lead.

 Second Half Headlines

• Double Up: The visiting Flames carried the control into the early stages of the second half. UIC got a couple of 3-pointers from Fergusn and Godwin Boahen to push the lead to double digits for the first time at 40-29 with 14:58 remaining in the ballgame.
• Home Team Rallies: Liberty was urged on by a crowd of over 2,200 fans to cut the deficit down to five points on a 3-pointer from Lovell Cabbil with 12:23. On the next possession UIC's Michael Diggins delivered a corner three off a feed from Ferguson to back up eight. That was as close as the home Flames would get the rest of the evening.
• Run and Hide: Diggins' 3-pointer ignited a 14-0 run that buried Liberty once and for all and gave UIC its largest lead of the game with 6:20 remaining. Five different UIC Flames scored during the run which was capped by another triple from Boahen.

 Notables

• UIC improved to 5-1 in postseason tournament games over the last two seasons. The Flames have won three postseason games in the same season for the first time in program history and they have won at least two in back-to-back years (also 2017 CBI).
• The Flames have secured their first 20-win season since the 2003-04 squad won 24 times. It is the seventh season in program history to feature at least 20 triumphs.
• The Flames extended a program record with their ninth straight road win, surpassing the 2003-04 team's best mark of seven in a row. The Flames have not lost a true road game since Dec. 30, 2017 at Horizon League champion Northern Kentucky. They have not lost a true road game with Tarkus Ferguson in the lineup since Nov. 29, 2017 at Troy.
• UIC improved to 16-1 when leading at the half. The lone defeat came against NCAA Tournament participant Wright State in the regular-season finale on March 25.
• The Flames have had at least four players score in double figures in all three CIT victories. Ferguson had led the squad in each of the last two games after he netted a team-best 16 points Wednesday.
• UIC made only six 3-pointers, its lowest output of the tournament. However, the Flames shot 55.6 percent (5-of-9) from beyond the arc as they pulled away in the second half.
• The visitors scored 18 points off 12 Liberty turnovers in the game and 10 off six in the second half.
• The Flames have held two of their three CIT opponents to 33.3 percent, or lower, from the field. Overall, UIC is allowing foes to shoot just 37.1 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from the 3-point line in the tournament. On the season, the Flames are 14-3 when holding opponents to 39 percent or lower.
• Jacob Wiley scored six points in the first half, matching his career high. The freshman played 18 minutes at Liberty, most since Dec. 30 at Northern Kentucky.

• The Flames improved to 4-1 all-time in the CIT and 1-0 all-time against the other Flames.

 Up Next

• The Flames will play for the CIT championship on Friday, March 30 at Northern Colorado. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.