CHICAGO – UIC held off a feisty IUPUI squad to collect a 77-72 victory Saturday (Feb. 22) afternoon inside Credit Union 1 Arena.
 
Four Flames scored in double figures, led by Marcus Ottey's team-high 16 points. Jamie Ahale came off the bench and went a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range to add 15 points and Jordan Blount brought in a season-high 14 rebounds.
 
UIC led by as many as 14 in the first half before IUPUI trimmed the halftime deficit to five. The Jaguars tied things up for the first time all game at 60-all with 5:29 to play, but the Flames would prevent IUPUI from ever taking the lead. Ferguson scored the go-ahead layup with 2:24 remaining and the Flames would hold on down the stretch.
 
UIC closes out the regular season with a pair of home games next week. The Flames first play host to Detroit Mercy on Thursday, Feb. 27 before closing out the season with Senior Day against Oakland on Saturday, Feb. 29.
 

.@M1Juice, you are cleared for takeoff! ??

Watch: https://t.co/sq4bJd71hU pic.twitter.com/mzB7glDyD7

— UIC FL??MES ?? (@UICFlamesMBB) February 22, 2020

 
First Half Highlights

• The Flames stormed out of the gate, opening the action with the game's first six points and forcing an IUPUI timeout. The timeout was ineffective, as the Flames added on two more buckets coming out of the stoppage to start the game up 10-0. Michael Diggins had four points while Blount, Ottey and Braelen Bridges all scored for UIC.
• An 8-2 run gave UIC its biggest lead of the game at 21-7. Ahale's pair of 3-pointers anchored the run, with a Jacob Wiley jumper falling in-between. Ahale would add another triple with 1:03 left in the half, as the junior finished the first 20 minutes a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
• The Flames evenly distributed the scoring, as all eight players who took the court scored in the first half.

Second Half Highlights

• IUPUI slowly chipped into UIC's five-point halftime lead, and eventually tied things up at 60-all with 5:29 left in the game. Tarkus Ferguson countered with a layup on UIC's next possession to regain the slim two-point advantage.
• The Jaguars tied the score up three more times down the stretch, including a 67-67 deadlock with 2:42 remaining. Ferguson, once again, scored on the next possession to give UIC the lead for good.
• The Flames had a one-point lead in the final minute when Ferguson's jumper put UIC ahead by three. An empty possession by IUPUI, and a pair of free throws by Blount, sealed the victory.
• Blount dominated the glass, especially in the second half, as 10 of his team-high 14 rebounds came in the second half.

News and Notes

• UIC improved to 12-2 when scoring over 70 points, including its last seven contests when reaching the 70-point mark.
• The Flames held a 43-37 advantage in rebounding, improving to 12-3 on the year when owning the rebounding battle.
• The 14 rebounds for Blount are a season high and one shy of matching a career high.
• UIC's bench outscored IUPUI's by a 23-2 margin.
• Ferguson's seven assists mark his fifth game with seven or more assists this year.