Feb. 19, 2000
Box Score
Detroit, Mich. -UIC won its third straight game and won back-to-back conference road games for the first time since the 1994-95 season with its 76-65 victory over Detroit Saturday afternoon at Calihan Hall.
"This is a credit to the team for the way they have really come together," Head Coach Tim Eatman said following the game. "We are really starting to mature as a team and learning that we have to take it one pass at a time, one possession at a time."
Five Flames scored in double figures on the day, led by Kimberly Henry and Melea Clark, who each tabbed 16 points. Amanda Bartz and Jaysie Chambers scored 13 points apiece while Consuela Hall added a career-high 12.
The two squads went back-and-forth for the first 12 minutes of the contest, exchanging the lead eight times while being tied on six occasions.
With the Flames (10-14, 5-6 MCC) clinging to a two-point edge (23-21) with 8:20 left in the period, they went on a 15-6 run over the next seven minutes to push their lead to 11 (38-27). Melea Clark scored on four straight possessions for UIC during the span, totaling 10 points. The Flames had an opportunity to expand on their lead late in the period, but still took a nine-point lead (40-31) into intermission.
Chambers, who dominated the second half on Thursday night at Cleveland State, worked similar magic on Saturday, scoring 11 points in the second stanza. Her strong play helped UIC build its lead to 12 (63-51) with 6:44 left in the game.
The Titans (16-7, 7-44 MCC) would rally, going on an 11-2 run over the next three minutes to cut the Flames' lead to three (65-62) with 3:28 remaining.
For the second straight game, UIC withstood a late charge, answering Detroit's run with an 11-3 run of its own over the last three minutes for the 76-65 victory.
UIC, which has now double its five-win total of a year ago, gets a chance to take on the top two teams in the MCC next week as they meet both UW-Green Bay and UW-Milwaukee at home. The Flames take on the Phoenix on Thursday, Feb. 24, at 7:00 p.m., and the Panthers on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 4:30 p.m.
