HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – A sluggish offensive start put UIC in a halftime hole that it was unable to overcome and the Flames fell to the Northern Kentucky Norse Sunday evening, 73-58.
 
UIC (7-8, 1-1 Horizon League) made only seven field goals in the first 20 minutes, and 2-of-13 from downtown. The Flames improved to shoot over 41 percent in the second half, but the Norse (12-3, 2-0 Horizon League) maintained a cushion throughout the duration of the game.
 
Marcus Ottey led UIC with 18 points while shooting 67 percent from the floor (8-of-12). He matched a career high with three steals for the fifth time. Jacob Wiley provided a big boost off the bench with a career-high 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
 
First-Half Headlines

• CAN'T BUY A BUCKET: UIC was able to get some good looks on the offensive end in the first half, but the Flames were unable to convert in many cases. The Flames shot 30.4 percent (7-of-23) in the first half and 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from beyond the arc. UIC made one of its final nine shots in the first half (11.1 percent).
• BOOST FROM THE BENCH: Sophomore Jacob Wiley brought great energy off the bench in the first half. The forward poured in a team-high eight points, added two rebounds and blocked a pair of NKU shots. He made an effort to get to the rim and also made six of the team's 12 first-half free throws.
• DIFFICULT DROUGHT: Northern Kentucky seized control in the first half when it held the Flames without a point over a five-minute stretch. UIC trailed by 12 points until a pair of free throws from Wiley ended the drought at the 3:30 mark. The home team led by 16 points at halftime, 44-28.

Second-Half Headlines

• CLAWING BACK: UIC shot the ball much better to open the second half, using a 9-1 run to cut the deficit to 10 points with 15:03 remaining when Rob Howard splashed in a 3-pointer from the left corner that made it 47-36, NKU.
• COMING EVEN CLOSER: The visitors used another spirited run, this one consisting of eight unanswered points, to chop the Norse lead down to eight with 5:32 left. Ottey and Ferguson each made three points the hard and Wiley converted a basket inside during the surge. Drew McDonald was fouled on the other end on the next possession. He made both free throws for NKU and the home team would not lead by fewer than 10 points the rest of the way.

 Notable

• Marcus Ottey scored 18 points to lead UIC. It was the sixth time he has been the team's leading scorer this season, matching Tarkus Ferguson for team-high honors.
• Ottey made at least eight field goals for the fifth time this season and he did so for the second time in as many Horizon League games this season. He shot at least 50 percent from the floor for the eighth time Sunday.
• Jacob Wiley poured in a career-high 12 points and matched a personal best with seven rebounds. He also blocked three shots, two more than NKU's entire team combined.
• Rob Howard returned after missing two games (illness). He scored three points and added two rebounds, while playing +7 in eight minutes of action.
• Godwin Boahen has made at least one 3-pointer in 33 consecutive games.
• NKU had the edge in rebounding, 46-27. It was UIC's worst deficit on the glass of the season.
• UIC split its first two Horizon League games leaving the Flames with a 1-1 record to open conference play for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign.
• UIC improved to 1-0 in Horizon League play for the first time in four seasons under head coach Steve McClain.

Up Next

• The Flames return to Credit Union 1 Arena on Friday, Jan. 4 to ring in the new year against IUPUI (8-7, 0-2 Horizon League) at 6 p.m. CT.
• The tilt between the Flames and Jaguars will be televised to a nationwide audience on ESPNU. Jordan Bernfield and Brooke Weisbrod will be on the call. The pair was in attendance when UIC stunned Wright State in overtime on Dec. 28 in a national TV game on ESPN2.
• Fans can get tickets to Friday's Horizon League home opener for 50-percent off on Ticketmaster using the promo code ITSUIC.