CHICAGO – The UIC men's basketball team dropped its opening game of a two-game set at Northern Kentucky, falling to the Norse, 72-78, Friday (Jan. 29) evening inside BB&T Arena.
 
Zion Griffin, who missed the last six games due to injury, made his return to the UIC (8-6, 5-4 HL) lineup and led the Flames with a team-high 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting while dishing out a team-high and career-high five assists. He was joined in double figures by Maurice Commander and Michael Diggins who added 12 points each.
 
After the Norse (8-8, 6-5) built the lead to as high as 15 in the second half, the Flames chipped away at the deficit to climb back into the rematch of last year's Horizon League Championship game. With Northern Kentucky leading by 12 with 4:27 to play, the Flames exploded on a 12-2 run to make it a two-point game with 1:36 to play. The Flames got the deficit to two twice more down the stretch but were unable to get any closer.
 
UIC will wrap up its series with the Norse and its four-game roadtrip Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. (CT).
 
How It Happened – First Half

• The two teams battled showcased the defense early, with the teams combining for four field goals through the first 6-plus minutes of the game.
• The teams would trade the lead throughout the first 10 minutes of action, with UIC unable to build a lead larger than one.
• With the two teams tied at 15, NKU used a 9-0 run to build a 24-15 advantage with 4:03 left in the half.
• Neither team was able to get into a rhythm offensively, with both teams shooting below 40% from the field in the opening half of play.

 
How It Happened – Second Half

• Northern Kentucky took a nine-point lead and built it to 15 with the first six points of the second half.
• UIC responded with a 12-2 run to cut it to a 10-point game with 13:54 remaining. Griffin led the way with six points during the run.
• Jamie Ahale kickstarted UIC's late run with back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Flames within six at 61-55 with 3:37 to play. Griffin added five points during the 12-2 UIC run, with his 3-pointer with 1:36 to play pulling the Flames within two points.
• UIC was unable to get any closer to the Norse, who held on four-point victory.

 
News and Notes

• UIC dominated the glass, outrebounding Northern Kentucky by a 44-29 margin. Rob Howard led the way with nine boards while five players brought in at least five rebounds.
• Griffin and RayQuawndis Mitchell both returned to the lineup after missing the last six games each due to injury.
• The Flames doubled up Northern Kentucky in assists, dishing out 12 compared to Northern Kentucky's six.