CHICAGO, Ill. – UIC turned its defensive effort all the way up in the second half as the Flames blew past the Chicago State Cougars in non-conference action, 74-58. The Flames limited the Cougars to only 24 points in the final 20 minutes while shooting 56.5 percent (13-for-23) on their own.
 
Dikembe Dixson led four UIC (4-3) players in double figures with 20 points, while freshmen Marcus Ottey and Godwin Boahen combined to pour in 25 points off the bench in the victory for the Flames. Ottey drained seven of his 10 attempts from the field, while Boahen added four assists and three rebounds to his stat line for UIC.
 
The Flames improved to 3-0 at the UIC Pavilion this season. It is the first time since the 2012-13 campaign that UIC opened with at least three victories at the corner of Harrison and Racine.
 
 
How It Happened

• After a back-and-forth open to the game, Chicago State took a five-point lead, 12-7, when Fred Sims, Jr. rolled in a layup at the 15:17 mark.
• UIC then went on a quick 8-2 run to snatch the lead back when Marcus Ottey drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing with just under 13 minutes remaining. The Flames would not trail for the remainder of the contest.
• The home team secured its first double-digit lead of the night with 7:24 remaining in the first half when Dixson stepped into a 3-pointer, one of the two he made on the night. The shot gave UIC a 33-22 lead.
• Chicago State trimmed its deficit to three points on the heels of an 11-3 run, but the Flames closed the first frame on a 6-1 run of their own to take an eight-point lead into the locker room.
• Tai Odiase had 11 points and seven rebounds in 14 first-half minutes, while Dixson netted nine with four rebounds and three assists.
• It was a five-point game once again 2:33 into the second half after Fred Sims, Jr., scored two of his game-high 24 points.
• The advantage was six for the home team with 14:03 remaining before a 3-pointer from Boahen sparked a 13-2 run over 3:16 pushed the lead up to 17 points when Dominique Matthews buried a 3-pointer.
• Following Matthews' shot from distance, Chicago State came no closer than 13 points the rest of the way.

 
Beyond The Box Score

• Chicago State was held without a field goal over the final 5:07 of the first half.
• UIC's 32 points off the bench were the third-highest total of the season. The reserves poured in 46 points against Trinity Christian on Nov. 19 and 38 points in the season opener at San Francisco.
• UIC used its second different starting lineup combination of the season Wednesday. Kyle Guice made his first career start for the Flames, while Matthews made his first start of the season and the ninth of his career.
• Matthews finished with a career-high seven rebounds. Odiase's team-high eight rebounds marked a season high.
• Odiase blocked at least three shots for the fourth time in seven games this season. It was the second time he blocked five or more (eight vs. UTSA on Nov. 16).
• Dixson has scored in double digits in 33 of his 37 career games. He reached at least 20 points for the 21^st time overall and the fifth time this season.
• Ottey registered a career-high seven field goals.
• Six different Flames made a 3-point shot against Chicago State. It is the third time this season that six UIC players have scored from beyond the arc. The team also did so against San Francisco (Nov. 11) and Cal Poly (Nov. 25).
• Chicago State shot 35.9 percent from the field Wednesday, the low mark for any UIC opponent this season. The Flames are 4-0 when holding the opposition below 40 percent.
• The Flames have not lost back-to-back games all season, and are 3-0 following a defeat.

 
What's Next?

• UIC will play its third consecutive in-state opponent when it hosts Eastern Illinois on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 3 p.m.
• The Panthers are 4-3 on the young season after dropping an overtime decision to Bradley on Tuesday night.
• Sunday's game will be EIU's third road game of the season, and the first since Nov. 17. The team is winless in its first two contests away from Lantz Arena.
• The Flames narrowly lead the all-time series, 17-16. The Panthers won the last meeting on Nov. 16, 2013, but UIC rattled off four consecutive wins in the series prior to that game, dating back to Feb. 5, 1994 when both schools were members of the Mid-Continent Conference.