CHICAGO, Ill. – UIC used a combination of speed and strength to blow past the St. Francis (Ill.) Fighting Saints in an exhibition game for hurricane relief Wednesday evening at the UIC Pavilion, 97-62.
 
The Flames pounded the ball inside for 54 points in the paint, while adding another 30 from beyond the arc. UIC's Tai Odiase did not miss a shot against the Fighting Saints as he converted all 10 field-goal attempts and scored 20 of his game-high 21 points from in close. Dominique Matthews netted 16 points off the bench, 12 of which came on 3-point baskets.

The home team had excellent ball distribution on Wednesday. Tarkus Ferguson posted a game-best 13 assists without a turnover, while six Flames had at least three helpers apiece. UIC registered 32 assists on 41 made field goals with only 14 turnovers.
 
 Game Headlines

• Odiase Owns the Interior: The Saints had no match for Odiase inside. The senior converted all 10 of his field goal attempts en route to a game-high 21 points. The Glenwood, Ill., native went 5-for-5 in both halves and he also controlled the paint on defense with a game-best three blocks.
• Sharing the Wealth: UIC assisted on 32 of its 41 made field goals Wednesday, a clip of 78 percent. Tarkus Ferguson dished out 13 assists without a turnover in 29 minutes of action. Seven of his helpers came in the second half. Five of Ferguson's teammates – Dikembe Dixson, Jordan Blount, Marcus Ottey, Jacob Wiley and Clint Robinson – each had at least three assists.
• Matthews Makes It Rain: Sophomore Dominique Matthews was dialed in from downtown. The sophomore made his first two 3-point attempts and three of the first four Wednesday. He finished 4-of-8 from beyond the arc and outscored USF's bench by himself, 16-6.
• Beating the Buzzer: Marcus Ottey drained a 3-pointer from the left corner in the waning seconds of the first half to give UIC its largest lead of the first period at 21 points. The sophomore led the Flames, and all scorers, with 15 first-half points.
• Bench Mob: UIC demonstrated its improved depth in a variety of ways. First, 10 of 11 Flames who were available registered at least 12 minutes of playing time in the victory. Second, the bench got involved by outscoring the opposition 28-6. Finally, all but one player scored at least one basket for UIC. Matthews led the second unit with 19 minutes and 16 points.
• Thievery: UIC stole the ball 13 times, while pressuring USF into 17 turnovers. Dixson and Ottey led the way with four steals apiece, while Clint Robinson and Ralph Bissainthe registered two apiece off the bench.
• Fresh Faces: Four players donned a UIC uniform for the first time Wednesday. Sophomore Jordan Blount received a redshirt last season, but he started and added six points, six rebounds and three assists in 16 minutes. Freshmen Jacob Wiley and Ralph Bissainthe each came in off the bench, as did junior transfer Naradain James.
• Dikembe's Return: Sophomore Dikembe Dixson was limited to 10 games a year ago, but after suffering an injury, he's made a full recovery and earned a start Wednesday. The Matewan, W. Va., native tallied 15 points on 7-of-9 from the field with four steals and three assists. One particular highlight came with 1:06 left in the first half when he stole the ball at half court and motored down for an uncontested one-handed slam.

 Fast Facts

• Ottey made two 3-pointers on five occasions last season, including during the CBI semifinal game at Coastal Carolina. On Wednesday the Toronto, Ontario, native buried three on five attempts.
• Ferguson's 13 assists were one more than his regular season career high a year ago, which came in a College Basketball Invitational victory over George Washington. He started all 36 games as a true freshman in 2016-17 and did not commit a single turnover three times.
• After averaging 76.4 points per game last season, the Flames eclipsed that mark against St. Francis (Ill.) when Matthews canned his fourth triple with 9:30 remaining in the game.
• The Flames shot an impressive 61.2 percent (41-of-67) from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. The starting group of Ferguson, Ottey, Dixson, Blount and Odiase combined to shoot 70 percent (31-of-44) from the field.
• UIC's final margin of victory, 35 points, was its largest lead of the game. St. Francis led, 2-1, in the early going, but Blount's layup with 1:22 gone by gave the home team the lead for good.
• St. Francis attempted 19 free throws to only 10 for UIC. The Fighting Saints shot 74 percent from the charity stripe, while the Flames only converted at 50 percent.

 Up Next

• The Flames will open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 10, when North Carolina Central visits the UIC Pavilion at 7 p.m. The Eagles participated in the 2017 NCAA Tournament and were the nation's most experienced team last season according to KenPom.com.
• Tickets are available by calling 312-413-UIC1 or visiting the Ticket Office today.
• UIC will host a total of four games in eight days to open the regular season. The Flames will play Saint Joseph's on Nov. 13, Delaware State on Nov. 16 and Fort Wayne on Nov. 18, all at home.