CHICAGO – UIC tuned up for the 2018-19 regular season by welcoming the Illinois Wesleyan Titans to the UIC Pavilion on Thursday night for a well-played exhibition matchup. The Flames pulled away late in the first half and worked toward an 81-60 victory.
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Jordan Blount netted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, both game highs. Four other Flames scored in double figures, including:
Tarkus Ferguson (15),
Godwin Boahen (11),
Marcus Ottey (11) and
Rob Howard (10).
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UIC turned the ball over only nine times Thursday, while the squad scored 17 points off IWU mistakes. The home team also scored 26 points on the fast break.
First Half Headlines
- Firing Out: Illinois Wesleyan made the game's first basket, but UIC responded with 11 unanswered points to snag a significant lead. Tarkus Ferguson buried a pair of 3-pointers during the surge, while Godwin Boahen and Jordan Blount also tallied baskets.
- Cooling Down: The Flames opened the game by making five of their first seven field-goal attempts (71.4 percent), but soon cooled to make only three of their next 14 shots. In that time the Titans roared back to pull within one possession and UIC leading 25-22.
- Finishing Strong: The home team closed strong by scoring 10 of the half's final 11 points. Blount, Michael Diggins, Rob Howard and Ralph Bissainthe all made buckets during the run, while Ferguson added a free throw. That put UIC in front, 35-25, at the half.
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Second Half Headlines
- Dropping a Dime: The Flames pushed the lead to 15 points for the first time in the game less than two minutes into the half when Blount recorded a steal, drove the paint and dropped off a picturesque pocket pass to Howard for a flush.
- Largest Lead: UIC extended its lead to a game-high 24 points with 7:08 remaining when Bissainthe scored on a break following a rebound from Jacob Wiley. The Titans would come no closer than within 19 points of the Flames the rest of the way.
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Notables
- Eleven players entered the game for UIC and eight contributed at least four points.
- UIC blocked eight shots Thursday with Ferguson, a guard, leading the way with four. At least two of his rejections came by closing out on 3-point attempts.
- Howard scored 10 points with four rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Overall, UIC's second unit was narrowly outscored, 33-27.
- UIC played its first game on a newly redesigned court at the Pavilion. The new look generated buzz throughout the day on social media:
Up Next
- UIC opens the regular season, and the Gotham Classic, on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at Notre Dame. It will be the first meeting between the Flames and Fighting Irish.
- The game will air on ACC Extra.
- UIC will also travel to Radford (Nov. 9) and Duquesne (Nov. 12) as part of the tournament.
