CHICAGO – Sophomore Jada Nneji rewrote the single-game block record with an incredible 13 stops, but the Flames (3-14, 1-5 HL) came up short Sunday afternoon at home against Detroit Mercy (3-13, 1-4 HL). Nneji also added a team-high 12 rebounds for her third-consecutive double-double.

First Half Highlights

• Detroit Mercy struck first with five unanswered points, but Brittany Byrd put up a three to get the Flames on the board, 5-3. Kiarra Thompson added a three for the Flames, pushing the lead in their favor, 6-5.
• Catera Etheridge swatted the ball away from a Titan and ran it back for two, putting UIC ahead 10-5 at the end of the first quarter.
• Detroit Mercy tied it up three minutes in to the second quarter, but Byrd put one in from downtown to put the Flames back ahead, 13-10. Three-pointers from both sides kept UIC ahead by three, 15-12, and after a long jumper from Etheridge the lead grew to five, 17-12.
• The Titans closed the gap with five straight, but two free throws from Byrd gave the Flames a two-point advantage heading into the locker room at half time, 19-17.

Second Half Highlights

• The Titans went on a nine-point scoring spree in the early stages of the third quarter, but Nneji and Thompson responded for the Flames with five straight, 27-25. A late layup by Detroit Mercy gave them a four-point lead heading into the final ten minutes, 29-25.
• A triple off the hands of Etheridge from the left corner tied the game at 32, but back-to-back buckets by the Titans would put the game out of reach, as the Flames fell 42-36.

Facts & Figures

• Nneji's 13 blocks makes her the first player in the Division-I era to reach double figures in blocks in a single game. Nneji also tallied five points and two steals for the Flames.
• Brittany Byrd led UIC's offense with 11 points and was in double-double territory with nine rebounds.
• Catera Etheridge brought in seven points, while Kiarra Thompson ended the afternoon with six.
• Abreanna Lake and Jasmine Gaines handed out three assists apiece to lead the Flames.
• The Flames held the edge on the glass, 19-13.
• The Titans had the slightest edge over UIC in shooting, making 24.6 percent of their shots compared to 24.4 percent for the Flames.
• UIC made 25 percent of its shots from downtown, compared to 21.1 percent for Detroit Mercy.
• Detroit Mercy turned in 21 points off 26 Flames turnovers. UIC got eight from 17 Titan miscues.
• The Titans were also stronger in the paint, 20-4.

Up Next

• The Flames begin their longest road stretch of the season at IUPUI on Saturday, Jan. 19.

Highlights