CHICAGO -- UIC began the final weekend of the Horizon League's regular season by toppling the visiting Green Bay Phoenix at Credit Union 1 Arena, 61-58.

Teyvion Kirk led all scorers with 19 points for the Flames (9-11, 6-9 Horizon League), while adding six rebounds and a game-high six assists. Braelen Bridges was also in double figures with 14 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Senior Michael Diggins hauled in a career-high 13 rebounds, adding seven points, four assists, a steal and a block.

As a team, UIC shot 44.8% from the floor, while its defense limited the Phoenix (7-16, 7-12 Horizon League) to 37.1%. Friday's victory marked the third time this season that the opposition was held below 60 points.

The two teams will reconvene at Credit Union 1 Arena on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. It marks Senior Night for a veteran group that includes Diggins, Jamie Ahale, Rob Howard and Jacob Wiley. The quartet will be recognized in a pregame ceremony that can be seen live during the Flames Tipoff Show presented by Impact Networking.

How It Happened – First Half

• Howard opened the scoring Friday with a bucket in the paint, as the Flames would go on to dominate the battle of points in the paint against the Phoenix.
• Back-to-back baskets by RayQuawndis Mitchell and Kirk pushed UIC's lead to seven at 17-10 with 12:40 to go, its largest of the first half.
• Green Bay would strike back later in the half, using an 8-0 run to take a slim one-point lead at 23-22 with just under seven minutes remaining.
• Neither team led by more than three for the rest of the half, with the Phoenix taking a three-point lead into the break.
• Bridges had an effective first half, finishing 5-for-7 from the field for a team-high 10 points.

 
How It Happened – Second Half

• The Flames stormed out of the gate to open the second half, scoring the first eight points to take a five-point lead and force a Green Bay timeout. Howard led the way with four points during the run, including an emphatic dunk. The run gave UIC a lead it would not relinquish for the remainder of the half, but the game remained close throughout the final 20 minutes.
• After Green Bay cut the Flames' lead down to one, another UIC run, this one a 7-0 spurt, pushed the lead to a game-high eight points at 49-41 with 9:33 to play. The Phoenix countered with a 10-3 run to get back within one until Kirk's turnaround jumper with 5:19 to play ended the threat.
• Ahale split a pair of free throws with 21 seconds left to give UIC a slim three-point margin, but while Green Bay got a pair of 3-point shots off in the closing seconds, the Flames held on to secure their seventh win inside Credit Union 1 Arena this year.

 
News and Notes

• Diggins set a new career high with 13 rebounds, topping his previous high of 12, set last season against the same Green Bay team.
• Kirk finished with a game-high 19 points, his team-leading 16^th game with 10 or more points this season. The redshirt junior has now scored in double figures in each of the last four games.
• UIC dominated the paint, outscoring Green Bay 42-28 down low. Additionally, the Flames controlled the glass, owning a 42-35 rebounding advantage.
• All of Green Bay's 58 points came from a total of four players. Pj Pipes led the way with a team-high 17 points.
• UIC held a lead for 30:57 Friday evening, compared to just 6:45 for Green Bay.

During Friday's game, the UIC athletic department honored its student-athletes who excelled in the classroom this past year, recognizing those who achived a perfect 4.0 GPA in addition to those who earned a 3.5 GPA or higher.