CHICAGO – In its first time taking the court in nearly a month, The UIC women's basketball team (2-6, 1-4 HL) dropped a close battle with Horizon League foe Youngstown State (2-3, 2-3 HL) Friday afternoon inside Credit Union 1 Arena. The two teams fought a close battle through a majority of the game, with neither team owning a double-digit lead until the Penguins were able to pull ahead by 11 in the game's final two minutes.

First Half Highlights

• Youngstown State took an early 4-0 lead, but the Flames were able to tie the game at six thanks to layups from Lindsey Rogers and Keona Schenck, as well as a jumper from Kristian Young.
• A trio of layups allowed the Penguins to double up on the Flames, 12-6, but Rogers made the reply for the Flames, closing the gap with a pair of threes to tie the game at 12.
• The Penguins took the final five points of the first quarter for a 21-16 lead after the first ten minutes.
• Facing a nine-point hole, another three for Rogers paired with a Jada Nneji jumper to half the deficit and put UIC within four.
• Youngstown State fired off a three for some distance, but a 10-0 surge for the Flames would change the tides and give UIC its first lead of the game, 35-32.
• The Penguins were able to convert a three-point play to finish out the first half and tie the game at 35.

Second Half Highlights

• Youngstown State started off the second half similar to the first, scoring the first five points of the half. Keona Schenck got the Flames on the board with a three, putting the score at 40-38.
• With just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Daijah Smith fired off six unanswered points for the Flames in just a 22 second span, giving the Flames a one-point advantage, 50-49.
• The visitors capped off the third quarter with a pair of free throws and a three to put the lead back in their favor, 54-50.
• A jumper from Smith put the Flames within two in the early stages of the fourth quarter, 56-54, but that was as close as they would get, as the Penguins would pull ahead for good with a 6-0 streak all from the charity stripe, 73-62.
• Youngstown State finished the game on a 4-2 run to take the game by a final tally of 77-66.

Facts & Figures

• In her first game since Dec. 5, Lindsey Rogers led the Flames with a personal-best 17 points, all of which she scored in the first half. The freshman also added four rebounds.
• Daijah Smith contributed 12 points in just 16 minutes of action, coming off the bench for the Flames.
• Keona Schenck turned in her seventh double-digit performance of the season with 10 points to go with a personal-best six rebounds. Schenck also recorded four steals and a trio of assists.
• Kristian Young was just shy of a double-double, tallying nine points and a personal-best nine assists. Young becomes the first player since Dec. 18, 2019 to record eight or more assists.
• Youngstown State owned a slight advantage on the day in shooting, making 47.2 percent (25-for-53) of their shots, compared to 46.3 percent (25-for-54) for the Flames.
• The two teams were close in the paint, with Youngstown State registering 34 points in the paint compared to the Flames' 30 points.
• The Penguins profited 16 points off UIC's 17 turnovers, while the Flames cashed in 15 points from YSU's 13 miscues.
• The Flames' bench outscored Youngstown State's, 20-10.  

Highlights