NORMAL, Ill. -- A last-second 3-pointer by Illinois State proved to be the difference maker Wednesday (Dec. 18), as the UIC men's basketball team dropped a 67-66 heartbreaker to the Redbirds down in Normal.
 
With the Flames leading by two in the closing seconds, Illinois State's Zach Copeland connected from beyond the arc with 8.6 seconds remaining to give the Redbirds the one-point advantage. Marcus Ottey's ensuing desperation attempt came up short and the Flames were unable to get a second look at the basket.
 
Tarkus Ferguson tied a season high with 22 points, with 17 coming in the second half alone. He was joined in double figures by Ottey, who added 12 in his second game of the season. Fellow senior Jordan Blount made his season debut Wednesday, contributing six points and six rebounds in just under 12 minutes of action off the bench.
 
UIC has a quick turnaround as the Flames return home for their nonconference finale on Friday, Dec. 20 against UC Irvine. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. inside Credit Union 1 Arena.
 
First Half Notes

• The Band is Back Together: For the first time this season, UIC's quartet of Godwin Boahen, Tarkus Ferguson, Marcus Ottey and Jordan Blount all played in the same game with the return of Blount. After missing the first 11 games of the year due to injury, Blount made his season debut in the first half. He would finish the game with six points and six rebounds in just under 12 minutes of action.
• Flames Fight Back: Trailing by 10 with 3:28 to play in the opening half, the Flames closed on a 10-2 run to pull within a pair at the halftime break. Back-to-back triples by Boahen and Jamie Ahale forced a Redbird timeout. Following an ISU bucket, Braelen Bridges connected on a pair in the paint.
• Flawless Ottey: Marcus Ottey had a perfect shooting half for the Flames. The senior was 3-for-3 from the field while going a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line. He had a rebound and a steal as well while only turning the ball over once.

 
Second Half Notes

• Ferg on Fire: After being limited to five points on 2-of-6 shooting in the first half, Ferguson exploded for 17 second-half points. The senior was 5-of-7 from the field in the final 20 minutes, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. The 22 points match a season-high, which he set against San Diego on Dec. 2.
• Second Half Surge: UIC, who did not lead for the first 27:25 of the game Wednesday, jumped ahead for the first time with 12:35 remaining in the game on the heels of a 10-2 UIC run. Ferguson fueled the run with five points alone.
• Closing Dagger: The Flames held a 10-point advantage in the game with 3:51 remaining following an Ottey basket, but the Flames would be held scoreless down the stretch as Illinois State closed out the game on an 11-0 run. The run was capped by the heartbreaking triple with less than 10 seconds remaining.