Box Score Feb. 19, 2016
CHICAGO -- UIC narrowly led at the half, but Detroit came on strong in final 20 minutes to post an 83-72 victory at the UIC Pavilion Friday night. Dikembe Dixson scored a game-high 26 points and Tai Odiase netted his fourth double-double of the season behind 12 points and 10 points for the Flames.
UIC came out firing to start the game as it built a 12-point lead over the first 12 minutes. The Flames used 11-1 run to take a 23-11 lead with 8:02 remaining in the first half. The spurt featured scoring plays from five different Flames, with no one player netting more than three points during the run.
About three minutes later UIC held a 29-18 cushion after Hassan Thomas sank a pair of free throws with 5:03 to go in the first period. Detroit climbed back and cut the deficit to four before layups from Dixson and Odiase pushed the advantage back to six on a few occasions. The Titans scored the last five points of the half, however, to pull within a point at the break.
After securing a halftime lead for the fifth time this season, UIC quickly surrendered a 3-pointer to Detroit's Paris Bass to fall behind, 36-34. The Flames would trail by seven points at the 14:25 mark, but a 12-4 run that was punctuated by another nifty layup from Dixson gave the home team the lead once again with 11:15 remaining in the game. UIC extended the lead out to three points later when Dixson converted an and-one opportunity with 8:22 remaining.
Following Dixson's three-point play, the offense stagnated. Detroit's zone defense flummoxed the Flames and it helped the Titan offense rattle off 13 unanswered points, taking a 70-60 lead with just under four minutes left on the clock. UIC's Michael Kolawole and Gabe Snider each buried 3-pointers down the stretch in an effort to extend the game, but the Titans ultimately prevailed, 83-72.
Dixson's 26 points helped the young standout match a Horizon League record. Now with 501 points on the season, Dixson is in a first-place with former UIC guard Mark Miller for the conference's freshman scoring record. That pair is tied for second all-time among freshman scorers at UIC, as Sherrell Ford netted 601 points during his inaugural season. The reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Week has scored at least 20 points in four consecutive contests, and in eight of his last nine outings. Dixson is averaging 19.3 points per game in his rookie campaign, while that number jumps to 22.9 ppg in 15 Horizon League games.
Odiase, the reigning Horizon League Co-Player of the Week, continued to establish a strong presence on both offensive and defensive ends. The Glenwood, Ill., native dropped in 12 points, while adding a team-10 rebounds. He has scored in double figures in five consecutive contests, his longest such streak of the season. Odiase continued to patrol the paint, as well. The center rejected seven shots, marking the fourth time this season that he has sent back at least as many, In his last four games, the second-year player is averaging 7.3 blocks per outing.
Joining Dixson and Odiase in double figures offensively was redshirt sophomore Lance Whitaker, who added 10 points. Kolawole handed out a team-high five assists to match his own person-best effort this season.
Before the game UIC retired jersey number 11 in honor of legendary guard Kenny Williams (1990-94). By the time the final buzzer sounded on his collegiate career in 1994, Williams had become the first player in program history to eclipse 2,000 career points, finishing with 2,025. He was also the second player to register more than 200 career steals, and he remains UIC's all-time leader in that category to this day with 237 thefts. The LaGrange, Ill., native ranks in the top three in program history in points, steals, assists, field-goal attempts, field-goals made, free-throw attempts and free-throws made. Williams becomes the third Flame to have his number taken out of circulation, joining former teammate Ford (No. 24) and Miller (No. 12) in receiving the honor. He is a member of both the UIC Athletics and Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Halls of Fame.
UIC will close out the home portion of its 2015-16 schedule with Senior Day on Sunday, Feb. 21, when the Oakland Golden Grizzlies visit the UIC Pavilion at 4 p.m. Soon-to-be-graduates Snider and Jake Wiegand will be honored for their contributions to the program over the past four seasons in a pregame ceremony. Tickets are available by calling 312-413-UIC1 (8421) or visiting Ticketmaster now.
UIC Notes: UIC started the game with Dikembe Dixson, Michael Kolawole, Tai Odiase, Lance Whitaker and Najeal Young, marking the 10th time this season, and ninth consecutive outing, that head coach Steve McClain has opened with that group ... It is the most-frequently used grouping of the season ... Dixson and Odiase have each started all 26 games ... Dixson has scored 20-plus points 13 times in 26 career games ... He made a career-high 12 free throws ... Odiase's double-double was the 12th in the last 10 games for UIC ... He led the Flames in rebounding for the fourth time this season ... Julian Torres has been the first sub off the bench a team-high seven times this season ... He had four points and five rebounds in 12 minutes Friday ... UIC is winless in four Friday games this season ... The Flames are 0-3 when leading at the half this season ... The game featured six ties and seven lead changes.
