SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame made the most of its trips to the free throw line and second-chance points Tuesday night to take down the UIC Flames in the first game of the Gotham Classic, 84-67. The Fighting Irish shot 94.7 percent (36-of-38) from the free throw line and produced 24 second-chance points on 18 offensive rebounds.  
 
Marcus Ottey paced the Flames with a game-high 17 points. The guard added five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Tarkus Ferguson and Jordan Blount chipped in with 12 points apiece with Ferguson and Jacob Wiley leading on the glass with six rebounds.

First Half Headlines

• Early Jitters: UIC was troubled by five turnovers in the first 4:36 of action, leading to four points for the Fighting Irish and an 8-4 lead. On the other side, senior Rex Pflueger turned it over twice for the home team.
• Here Come the Flames: After falling behind by 12 points, 20-8, with just under 13 minutes to play in the half, UIC made a brief run of its own. Godwin Boahen drilled a 3-pointer in transition from the top of the key before Marcus Ottey and Jacob Wiley each got to the free throw line and converted two apiece to slice the deficit to five points with 10:19 left in the first half.
• Fighting Irish Response: Notre Dame scored 10 quick points in less than three minutes with the help of two more UIC turnovers to gain command, 30-15.
• Charity Case: The Fighting Irish got to the free throw line with regularity and ease in the first half. The team shot 24 free throws and missed only one in the opening 20 minutes. That success, at a clip of 96 percent, helped Notre Dame double up the Flames at the break, 46-23.

 Second Half Headlines

• New Life: UIC switched to a zone defense to open the second half and Boahen drew a charge on Notre Dame's first possession. After missing a couple of 3-point shots in the next few looks, the junior stepped into a shot from downtown that injected some life into the squad. That shot pulled the Flames within 20 points, but that was as close as the visiting team could get for the duration of the ballgame.
• No Quit: UIC continued to battle throughout the half. A late 9-0 run, the Flames longest of the night, helped drop the deficit to 22 points when Dominique Matthews canned a 3-pointer with just under three minutes left on the clock. Travell Washington added a couple of buckets, and Michael Diggins scored once in the final minutes to set the final margin.

 Notables

• After scoring in double figures 27 times in 36 games a year ago, Marcus Ottey tallied a game-high 17 on Tuesday. Tarkus Ferguson (12), Jordan Blount (12) and Godwin Boahen (10) also scored double digits for the Flames.
• As a team UIC registered 10 steals. Ferguson led all players with three, while Blount, Ottey and Dominique Matthews each swiped two.
• UIC posted higher field goal and 3-point shooting percentages Tuesday. The Flames shot 37.5 percent from the floor to Notre Dame's 35.5 percent, and 20.7 percent from beyond the arc to the home team's 18.2 percent.
• Ferguson has started all 64 games of his UIC career, while Blount has been in the opening group 37 times.
• Four Flames - Travell Washington, Rob Howard, Ralph Bissainthe, Jamie Ahale – made their UIC debuts Tuesday. Washington was in the starting lineup and led that group with 15:19 played.
• Notre Dame made its first 21 free throws Tuesday before freshman Nate Laszewski drew iron for the first time with 3:02 left in the first half.
• UIC moved 3-7 all-time against current members of the ACC. This was the first meeting with Notre Dame.

Up Next

• UIC will continue its three-game road trip on Friday, Nov. 9 at Radford for a game that will tipoff at 8 p.m. CT.
• The Highlanders are the defending Big South Conference champions and won a game in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, defeating LIU Brooklyn in a First Four game.
• Radford was picked to win the league once again this season by the conference's head coaches and media members.