Feb. 19, 2011
Final Stats
Final Stats in PDF Format
VALPARAISO, Ind. - Briana Hinkle led four players in double figures with 19 points as the UIC women's basketball team earned its third road win in the last four tries on Saturday at Valparaiso, beating the Crusaders, 69-64.
The resilient Flames (12-13, 7-7 Horizon League) overcame three separate eight-point deficits by knocking down shots and buckling down on defense to best the Crusaders ( 7-20, 4-11 Horizon League) at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
"There were times today when we played defense as well as we have all year," said UIC head coach Lisa Ryckbosch after the game.
Hinkle had 12 points in the second half and six crucial tallies in the final minutes to lead the Flames to victory. The Bexley, Ohio native hit the go-ahead jumper with 4:19 left in the game to give UIC a one-point lead it would not relinquish.
Taylor Foulks poured in 15 points and tied a career-high with five steals, while Jasmine Bailey recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds against Valparaiso. Shameia Green was also in double figures with 12 points.
"Taylor played very well," said Ryckbosch. "Both offensively and defensively, she was on her game today."
The Crusaders built an eight-point cushion in the first following a 15-4 run that was punctuated with a three-pointer from the top of the key by freshman Tabitha Gerardot. Following a 30-second timeout, the Flames quickly answered with seven unanswered points over the next 1:13 to slice the deficit to just one.
Valparaiso built another six-point lead late in the half, but the Flames chipped away and cut it, once again, to one following a driving lay-up by Kiara Strickland with just under a minute to play in the opening stanza. Betsy Adams answered with her first trey of the day, but Strickland countered once again with another tough lay-up underneath to slice the lead to two, 37-35, where it would remain as the two squads retreated to their respective locker rooms for the break.
"Our bench was huge, especially in the first half," said Ryckbosch. "Jazz [Bailey] and Bree [Hinkle] were in some foul trouble, but Shanice [Sadler], Key [Strickland] and Cree [Nix] all stepped in with hug minutes."
Shanice Sadler had a season-high four rebounds, while Strickland had four points and three rebounds. Cree Nix chipped in with six rebounds off the bench.
UIC returns home next weekend for the final time during the 2010-11 regular season. The Flames will host Detroit on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. before taking on the Wright State Raiders on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. The game against the Raiders in the home finale is Senior Day at the UIC Pavilion with graduating student-athletes, Briana Hinkle, Shanice Sadler and Kristin Petrinec being honored prior to the game.
