CHICAGO – UIC trailed by as many as 17 points at San Francisco on opening night, and while it roared back to tie the game late, the Flames could not overcome the deficit, falling 82-80.
 
The Dons led 62-45 with 12:02 left in the game before mounting a memorable rally. The Flames tied the game at 76 points apiece with 2:26 remaining, and again at 80-80 with 56 seconds to go. San Francisco scored the only two points after that, on a pair of free throws, to win the game.
 
How It Happened

• UIC had a chance to tie the game or take the lead with 4.2 seconds left. After the Dons missed two free throws, the Flames called a timeout needing to go the length the floor. Godwin Boahen took the inbound pass and drove the ball the length of the floor. He drew contact going up, but couldn't convert as time ran out.
• UIC's comeback started with a quick 8-0 run that spanned just 54 seconds. Kyle Guice hit back-to-back 3-pointers before Marcus Ottey elevated for a dunk with 10:37 remaining.
• San Francisco's lead reach 11 points shortly thereafter, but UIC got it back down to single digits when Guice stepped up and buried another triple with a shade over 10 minutes to go.
• Later on it was another newcomer, Boahen, who started finding his stroke from distance. A 3-pointer with 5:59 remaining made it just a one-point game with the Dons ahead 67-66.
• The Flames continued to chip away and K.J. Santos connected from the left wing to pull his team within one, once again, with 2:44 to go.
• After Dikembe Dixson hit a three from the right wing, and Tai Odiase blocked his fourth shot of the night on the other end, UIC had the ball with 32.1 seconds left. San Francisco turned the Flames over however, and eventually took the 82-80 lead they would maintain at the finish.
• The Flames held the Dons without a field goal over the first 3:21 of the game, but USF made seven of its first eight free throws and the teams were neck-and-neck, tied at 9-9 early.
• Turnovers began to plague UIC as the Dons built an eight-point lead, 23-15, with just over 10 minutes to go in the opening half. To that point, UIC had 10 miscues that led directly to 14 points.
• San Francisco continued to push on the gas in the first half, building its lead to as many as 14 points with 6:08 remaining in the first half after a 3-point basket from Mladen Djordjevic.
• UIC pushed through the adversity, eventually slicing the deficit to seven points with 2:12 remaining in the first half after Dominique Matthews made a jumper. Matthews hit a 3-pointer off a feed from Lance Whitaker with 53 seconds to go in the half, but USF was able to take an 11-point lead into the locker room at the break.
• UIC had 14 turnovers in the first half, leading to 18 points for the Dons. The Dons also shot 85 percent (11-of-13) from the free-throw line, while the Flames converted only 46 percent (6-of-11) from the stripe.

 
Beyond The Box Score

• Matthews returned to the floor for the first time since Dec. 29, 2015. He scored a team-high seven points in 12 minutes for the Flames during the first period. He missed the final 18 games of the season with an injury, but received a medical redshirt for last season, retaining four seasons.

• Four players made their collegiate debuts for UIC Friday. Tarkus Ferguson, Ottey and Santos joined Dixson and Odiase in the starting lineup, while Boahen came off the bench. Two transfers – Guice and Clint Robinson – played for the Flames for the first time ever at San Francisco.
• Three of the newcomers led UIC in minutes. Boahen led the Flames by playing 29 minutes, while Santos was in the game for 27. Ottey played 26 minutes Friday. The trio combined to score 27 points and corral 15 rebounds. Boahen also added a game-high seven assists.
• UIC shot 57.1 percent from downtown in the game. Boahen and Guice made three attempts each.
• Dixson was UIC's leading scorer with 15 points. He has now scored in double digits in 27 of 31 career games, and he has led the Flames in scoring in 22 of those games.
• Odiase blocked four shots and moved past Derrick Johnson (1985-89) and into fourth place on UIC's all-time list with 149.
• Santos was UIC's top rebounder with eight, while Robinson picked up six offensive rebounds and one more on the defensive end. The junior's six offensive rebounds led all players.
• After shooting less than 47 percent from the free-throw line in the first half, UIC made nine of its 15 attempts (60 percent) in the final 20 minutes.

 
What's Next?

• UIC will return to the Windy City to host the UTSA Roadrunners on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.
• Prior to the game, fans are invited to the Flames Tip-Off Tailgate across the street from the UIC Pavilion. There will be a beer garden, free food and drinks, and more. The festivities begin at 4:30 p.m.
• At halftime, UIC will retire jersey No. 44 in honor of the late Chuck Lambert. The former standout is the program's all-time leading rebounder and he holds UIC's single-game scoring record after netting 43 points against Trinity Christian in 1974.