DETROIT – The UIC women's basketball team's (3-21, 2-11) second half comeback fell short on Saturday afternoon, falling 58-52 at Detroit Mercy (3-20, 3-9 HL). The Flames out-scored the Titans 36-20 in the second half to come within four points in the fourth quarter, nearly erasing a 22-point deficit.

Jada Nneji picked up her second double-double this week, tallying a game-high 18 points to go with a career-high 15 rebounds.

First Half Highlights

• An early three for Detroit Mercy gave it a 5-1 lead. Jada Nneji sank a pair of free throws to cut the lead in half, but the Titans got the points back in their next possession, 7-3.
• Detroit Mercy picked up 13 of the next 16 to take a 22-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
• Both teams put away free throws to start the second period, 24-10. A layup from Shelby Case and freebies from Kiarra Thompson gave UIC four unanswered, but the Titans once again got them back with a pair of layups, 30-14.
• Detroit Mercy finished with 12 of the last 14 points in the first half for a 38-16 lead at the break.

Second Half Highlights

• The Flames got to work at the top of the third, as Thompson put one in on the second chance and Case followed with a layup to put the Flames on a 4-0 streak, 38-20.
• UIC continued cutting at the lead, rattling off nine unanswered points, 41-29. The Titans were able to get a layup and a pair of free throws, but the Flames struck again with a Kimeira Burks three, 45-32. Nneji finished out the third quarter with a layup, 45-34.
• UIC outscored the Titans 18-7 in the third quarter, shooting 57.1 percent in the period, while keeping Detroit Mercy to a mere 16.7 percent in that same span.
• The Titans started off the fourth quarter with back-to-back layups to create some distance, 49-34. Both teams traded buckets, until Burks and Nneji combined for an 8-0 rally to put UIC within eight, 53-45.
• The lead dwindled down to five after a Tiana Jackson layup and a free throw from Nneji, 55-50, but a Detroit Mercy freebie would make it a three possession game with 24 seconds remaining.
• Freebies on both sides finished out the clock, as the Titans took it, 58-52.

Facts & Figures

• In addition to her double-double, Nneji also made four blocks to move into fifth place all-time with 133 career stops. The junior also matched her career best with five steals.
• Kimeira Burks also finished in double figures for the Flames, tallying 13 points to go with six rebounds.
• Shelby Case matched her personal best for the second-straight game with six points.
• Jealissa Presswood and Kiarra Thompson finished with seven rebounds apiece, one rebound shy of their respective career highs.
• The Flames once again had the advantage in the paint, 30-24. UIC also finished better on the second chance, 12-6, as well as off the fast break, 20-19.
• Detroit Mercy gained 19 points off 19 UIC miscues, while the Flames took 12 from 18 Titan turnovers.
• The Titans' bench outscored UIC's 14-12.
• UIC improved from 10.3 percent (3-of-29) shooting at the half to 50 percent (14-of-28) shooting in the second half alone. The Flames' 57.1 percent (8-of-14) in the third period was its best.

Up Next

• The Flames will continue their longest homestand of the season next weekend at Northern Kentucky and Wright State.