INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Tarkus Ferguson has been named the Horizon League Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday, Feb. 4. The UIC junior averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists as he helped the Flames knock off second-place Wright State and first-place Northern Kentucky in back-to-back fashion at Credit Union 1 Arena.



Ferguson was one of two UIC players to score 17 points, while shooting 58 percent from the floor, to help his team take down Wright State on Feb. 1, 67-53. He added five rebounds, five assists and two steals as the Flames completed their first regular-season sweep of the Raiders since the 2014-15 campaign. Ferguson played more 36 minutes and served as integral part of a defensive effort that held Wright State to its lowest scoring output of the season, and the fewest points allowed by UIC this season. WSU's field goal percentage, 28.1, was the lowest by a Division I foe since Delaware State shot 29.2 percent in a 40-point victory for the Flames on Nov. 17, 2017.

With a quick turnaround, Ferguson and his teammates welcomed first-place Northern Kentucky to town on Feb. 3. The Belleville, Ill., native nearly pulled off his second triple-double of the season behind 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists (all team highs) as UIC took down the Norse, 69-67. Ferguson's most important assist was the final one as we was the trigger man on a baseline out-of-bounds play that led to Jamie Ahale's game-winning 3-pointer. After his first option was taken away by the NKU defense, Ferguson spotted a Ahale in the right corner and fired a bullet pass that led to the biggest basket of the game with 2.5 seconds remaining in the game.

During the victory over Northern Kentucky, which snapped a five-game skid against the Norse, Ferguson joined the 500-rebound club. His seventh board of the game, which came on the offensive end about four minutes into the second half, helped him reach the milestone. Earlier this season he also became the 15^th player in program history to record 1,000 career points and he currently ranks fourth in program history with 442 assists. Ferguson ranks second in the Horizon League and sixth nationally in minutes played this season with 869:12. He also ranks 19^th in the NCAA with 76 3-point field goals and 26^th with 129 assists.

This is the first career Horizon League Player of the Week award for Ferguson, and the first for any UIC student-athlete since Tai Odiase claimed the honor on Dec. 26, 2016. Ferguson was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Week on Feb. 27, 2017.

UIC (12-12, 6-5 Horizon League) will begin a three-game road trip on Saturday, Feb. 9 at IUPUI. The Flames, who are currently tied fof fourth place in the League standings with IUPUI and Detroit Mercy, will also play at Cleveland State (Feb. 14) and Youngstown State (Feb. 16) before returning home for a nationally-televised game against Green Bay on Feb. 22 (ESPNU). UIC starts the week one game behind Oakland and Wright State and two games behind NKU.