CHICAGO -- UIC got 17 points apiece from Marcus Ottey and Tarkus Ferguson, and held Wright State to 28% shooting and a season low 53 points, in a 67-53 win Friday night. The Flames (11-12, 5-5 Horizon) came back from a 10 point deficit late in the first half, led by six at the half, and maintained a lead for the final 15 minutes of the game. UIC swept the Raiders (12-11, 6-4 Horizon) for the first time since 2014-15 in front of a national TV audience on ESPNU.

First-Half Highlights

• Nobody but Blount: Jordan Blount scored the first basket of the game on a ball fake and spin move, but the Flames would miss their next 10 shots.  Loudon Love scored four of six Raider points in a run that reached 11-0 after Bill Wampler got started with a 3 and driving layup.  Blount received a pass from Marcus Ottey on a screen and roll, and laid it in for his and the team's second field goal of the game at the 7:31 mark.
• Rallying With Defense: Despite his spurt of scoring, Love, who entered the game shooting 53%, finished the first half just 3-for-14 thanks to good defense by Travell Washington and Michael Diggins.  His misses contributed to a 1-for-12 Wright State drought, during which UIC reduced its deficit from 10 to 1 as Ottey and Tarkus Ferguson heated up, the latter with a fallaway three from the right wing.
• Grabbing the Lead: Love was blocked by Boahen, then stripped by Ottey leading to a Diggins layup that gave UIC a short lived one point lead.  Boahen was undercut while making a 3, and when he converted the four point play UIC was in front again.  Soon after, Rob Howard blocked Love, Ottey nailed a 3 on the ensuing possession and UIC led by its largest margin of the half, 26-22, which stood as the score at halftime.

Second-Half Highlights

• More Shooting Woes for WSU: Howard got free with a pump fake and make, in between six points from Ferguson, as the teams played evenly at the outset of the half.  After the ebb and flow, Blount nabbed a steal, leading to a Jamie Ahale three pointer and UIC led by 7, 41-34.  Then Blount cut to the basket where he received a nice feed from Boahen for a layup as Wright State endured a 2-for-11 slump
• Connecting From Deep: Alan Vest made a three to make it a five point game but Boahen answered from downtown.  Diggins emphatically rejected a shot and Ahale connected from distance again for an eight point lead.
• A Double-Digit Lead: Ottey went spin cycle to get free for a layup that gave UIC its largest lead to that point, 54-44, with under six minutes to go.  Ahale and Ferguson played a two-man game on the perimeter which ended with the Australian draining his third three in as many attempts.
• Winning the Endgame: Ottey saw a sliver of daylight and exploited it, knifing through the lane and finishing with a one-handed flush.  On the next trip, Ferguson got a shot to fall while being hacked, giving the Flames a 10 point cushion which afforded them a couple of possessions in which they could drain the clock.  Thanks to quick hands and steals by Ottey and Blount, the Raiders could not get a shot off in between.

Postgame Reaction





Notables

• Ottey and Ferguson tied for game high honors with 17 points each.
• Ferguson added five rebounds and five assists.  Boahen dropped six dimes, while Howard and Diggins each matched Ferguson with a team high five boards.
• UIC swept the regular season home-and-home series from Wright State for the first time in five years.  Both of the wins this year, including the dramatic overtime game December 28, were broadcast on national television.
• The Flames shot 56% in the second half and held Wright State to 28% for the game, their lowest output of the season and the lowest for any UIC opponent.  The Raiders shot under 16% from beyond the arc.
• Boahen made two 3-pointers, extending his streak to 41 games with at least one triple.
• UIC assisted on 18 of 23 baskets.
• The Flames rejected six shots, with two apiece from Howard and Boahen.  For Boahen, that number tied his career high.
• The six blocks were the most against Wright State in conference games.
• Wright State's 15 turnovers were their second most in league play.
• Love finished with a double-double, scoring 13 points on 5-20 shooting – his lowest percentage in Horizon League play – and grabbing a game high 12 rebounds.
• The Raiders won the rebounding battle, 39-33, in part because they were able to grab 15 of their 39 missed shots.

Up Next

• UIC's season-long four game home stand will come to an end Sunday afternoon.
• The Flames will host first place Northern Kentucky at 3:12 pm at Credit Union 1 Arena.
• Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com.