BOCA RATON, Fla. – A free throw with less than a second left proved to be the difference Sunday (Dec. 1) as UIC dropped a 71-70 heartbreaker to Florida Atlantic in the opening round of the Boca Raton Beach Classic.
 
Tied at 70-all in the closing seconds of the game, Florida Atlantic, the tournament hosts, brought in an offensive rebound and drew a foul on the put-back attempt with 0.4 seconds remaining. After missing the first free throw, FAU's Karlis Silins knocked down the second attempt to seal the victory.
 
Godwin Boahen led the way offensively with a team-high 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting while adding five rebounds and four assists. Tarkus Ferguson recorded his fifth consecutive game in double-figures, finishing with 16 points and a team-best five assists.
 
The Flames wrap up action at the Boca Raton Beach Classic on Monday, Dec. 2, at 4 p.m. (CT) against the loser of the other semifinal contest on Sunday featuring San Diego and St. Bonaventure.
 
First Half Highlights

• Ahale From Downtown: Jamie Ahale connected on a three-point attempt to give UIC its first lead of the game at 7-6. The triple extended Ahale's streak of games with at least one three-pointer to all eight games this year and 10 games dating back to the end of last season.
• Here Comes Ferg: Trailing 31-29 with 3:12 left in the first half, Tarkus Ferguson scored the next eight UIC points as part of an 8-2 run to put the Flames ahead 37-33. Ferguson hit a pair of free throws to open the run and then, following an Owl bucket, hit back-to-back three-pointers. The four-point advantage was UIC's largest of the half.
• Share the Rock: UIC made 11 field goals in the first half and assisted on nine of the 11 made buckets. Boahen dished out three in the opening 20 minutes while Ferguson added two.

Second Half Highlights

• Flames on the Run: FAU used an early 14-0 run to build a 10-point lead at 53-43 with 15:17 remaining in the game. Undeterred, the Flames responded with a 13-2 run of their own over the next 5:17 to regain the slim 56-55 advantage.
• Back and Forth: Sunday's game featured eight ties and 16 lead changes, with four ties and 11 of those lead changes coming in the second half.
• Down the Stretch: UIC took a three-point lead with 1:16 remaining after Ferguson connected on a jumper but the Owls countered with a triple with 1:01 left in the game. After UIC came up empty on its possession in the final minute, FAU held for the final shot. The Owls' first attempt was missed, but FAU got the rebound and was fouled on the put-back attempt. After missing the first free throw, the second fell to give FAU the one-point victory.

Facts and Figures

• Ferguson ended with 16 points, extending his streak to games of 10+ points to all five games he has played in this year. The senior also moved into 14^th place on UIC's career scoring list with 1,258 career points.
• The Flames matched a season high with 11 made three-pointers. Six different players connected from long range, led by Boahen's four made triples.
• All nine players who saw the court Sunday scored at least one point.
• One of the best free throw shooters in the country this year, Boahen went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe Sunday. On the year, the senior is now 21-of-23 (91.3%) from the free throw line.