CHICAGO – Damaria Franklin recorded his third double-double of the year Sunday as the UIC men's basketball team dropped a 64-56 decision to Detroit Mercy inside Credit Union 1 Arena.
 
The Flames, who led by 12 points in the early goings of the second half, were paced by Franklin who scored a team-high 18 points to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds for his third double-double of the year. Franklin finished 7-for-14 from the field and stuffed the stat sheet with two assists, three steals and a block.
 
Johnson added nine points, seven rebounds and six assists while Jalen Warren, making his first start in a Flames uniform, added eight points, four assists and two rebounds.
 
It was a tale of two halves for the Flames defensively. After limiting Detroit Mercy to 25.8% shooting from the field (and 18.2% from 3-point range) in the first half, the Titans' offense for a 59.1% shooting effort over the final 20 minutes.
 
The Flames took a six-point lead into the halftime break and pushed the advantage to 12 in the first 1:17 of the second half. All six points came via Kevin Johnson, who converted on an old-fashioned 3-point play before connecting from beyond the arc for the Flames.
 
Following the Johnson triple, the Titans would go on a 22-4 run to regain a 43-37 lead with 9:45 to play, Detroit Mercy's first lead since the 14:35 mark of the first half. The Flames would close within four points down the stretch but would get no closer as the Titans closed out the contest.
 
UIC returns to action on Saturday, Dec. 11 when the Flames hit the road to take on Central Michigan.
 
News and Notes

• All three UIC double-doubles this year have been tallied by Franklin.
• The Flames tied a season high with nine free throws made while the 16 attempts are a new highwater mark for the year.
• The Flames held a 14-9 advantage in assists and doubled up the Titans in steals, 8-4.