CHICAGO -- Michael Diggins had a career night, scoring 25 points on 10-of-11 shooting, leading UIC to a 62-49 win over Purdue Fort Wayne Saturday afternoon at Credit Union 1 Arena.

The junior blew by his previous career high of 16 early in the second half and showed versatility with three made 3-pointers and a variety of layups. Jamie Ahale added 19 points, and Godwin Boahen had 13 and 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

The Flames won consecutive games for the first time this season. They will look to make it three wins in a row next Saturday against DePaul at Winstrust Arena.

First Half Highlights

• The Flames scored the game's first nine points on a variety of shots. Godwin Boahen drove the baseline for a layup, Tarkus Ferguson made a three, and Jacob Wiley had a dunk to punctuate the run.
• Consecutive threes by Michael Diggins and Jamie Ahale doubled up the Mastodons, 18-9, and Ahale converted a four-point play shortly thereafter as part of a 14-0 run. The Flames assisted on 10 of their 11 field goals in the first half.
• The end of the half was marked by results on the defensive end. Deon Ejim checked in for the last four minutes and made an impact with two rebounds and a steal in three straight Purdue Fort Wayne possessions. Ferguson chased down Demierre Black on a fast break and rejected his layup to keep UIC's advantage at 16 points at the break.

Second Half Highlights

• Diggins set his career high early in the half after swishing two three-pointers. A Jacob Wiley layup after the second gave UIC its largest lead of the game, 43-22.
• The Mastodons did not succumb to extinction.  Though they shot just 17% from three point range, two of their five makes came during a 12-0 run. Diggins ended the drought with a layup, but Purdue Fort Wayne closed the gap to seven points with under eight minutes to play.
• Boahen sparked the Flames with a weaving layup through the lane, and Ahale followed with two triples to re-establish a double digit lead that UIC did not relinquish. Diggins had a couple of late layups sandwiching another Ahale 3, and Wiley grabbed a steal to seal the game.

Postgame Reaction

Jamie Ahale & Michael Diggins:


Head Coach Steve McClain:


Facts and Figures

• In addition to his 25 points, Diggins set career highs with 10 field goals and three 3-pointers (tying his best).
• Ferguson handed out a season-high 10 assists.
• Ahale was 6-of-10 from the floor, all on 3-point shots, to set a career mark for made threes.  It was the most by a Flame since Ferguson drained seven this past January 10 against Youngstown State.
• Boahen matched his career best with 12 rebounds.
• UIC finished with 21 assists on 24 field goals. It was the team's season high.
• The Flames broke a four-game streak of being outrebounded. They had 34 boards to Purdue Fort Wayne's 28.
• UIC shot 35% or better from downtown for the third straight game.

Up Next

• The Flames will take a week off for final exams, and return to action next Saturday.
• The crosstown rivalry with DePaul will heat up again, starting at 1 p.m. at Wintrust Arena.
• The next home game will be December 20 in the non-conference finale against UC Irvine.