CHICAGO -- UIC trailed from the onset Friday night and the Flames fell short in an attempt to pick up a victory over crosstown rival DePaul as the Blue Demons cruised to a 90-70 victory.
DePaul (7-2) capitalized on 20 UIC (4-7) turnovers and scored 27 points off the miscues. The Blue Demons shot over 52 percent during the contest and over 46 percent from downtown.
Four Flames scored in double figures.
Tarkus Ferguson matched a career high with five 3-pointers for the fourth time this season as he paced UIC with 20 points.
Marcus Ottey added 17 as he brought his career total to 996 in a Flames uniform.
First-Half Headlines
- THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY: UIC got off to a sloppy start, turning the ball over three times in 1:27 to start the game. The Blue Demons fired off a pair of 3-pointers in that span and the home team opened an 11-2 lead that led to the Flames using their first timeout at the 17:16 mark.
- CHIPPING AWAY FROM DOWNTOWN: The Flames methodically worked their way through the deficit. A 3-pointer from Godwin Boahen cut it to five with 14:07 to go, and another from Tarkus Ferguson made it a four-point ledger with a tick over 11 minutes to go in the first half.
- BIG BLUE DEMON RUN: DePaul netted a bucket on the very next possession and it would go on to outscore the Flames by 20 points over the remainder of the period to take a 52-28 lead into the locker room at the half.
Second-Half Headlines
- FRESH START: UIC came out with a renewed energy to open the second stanza. Full-court pressure and quick buckets from Ferguson and Boahen prompted a timeout for the Blue Demons less than two minutes into half.
- FLAMES FAIL TO MAKE A DENT: Each time the visitors tried to reorganize and make a surge, DePaul had an answer. The Flames trailed by no fewer than 17 points at any point in the second half before the Blue Demons exited with a 20-point triumph.
Notable
- As a team UIC made 11 3-pointers Friday night. It was the sixth time that the Flames made 10-or-more shots from downtown, and the first since Nov. 28 at Saint Joseph's.
- Tarkus Ferguson matched a career high as he sank five 3-pointers for the fourth time this season. The junior also made five triples against Radford (Nov. 9), William & Mary (Nov. 15) and Saint Joseph's (Nov. 28).
- Ferguson scored at least 20 points for the fifth time this season, which leads the Flames. It was the 11th game in his career with that output.
- Ferguson and classmate Jordan Blount paced UIC with eight rebounds apiece. The Flames were outrebounded as a team for the seventh time this season and they are 1-6 when that occurs.
- Marcus Ottey scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. The junior has 996 career points and could become the third UIC player in the last two seasons to reach 1,000 for his career.
- Godwin Boahen has made at least one 3-pointer in 29 consecutive games dating back to last season. He has made multiple shots from beyond the arc in nine straight games and 10 of UIC's 11 contests this season.
- DePaul's Max Strus led all players with 34 points Friday. It was the fifth time this season that an opponent has scored 30-or-more against the Flames.
Up Next
- UIC will host Incarnate Word on Monday, Dec. 17 in the team's penultimate nonconference game.
- The Flames and Cardinals will tipoff at 7 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPN+. Jonathan Hood and Chris Bleck will be on the call.
