CHICAGO – The UIC men's basketball team erased a nine-point second half deficit Saturday only to fall in the game's closing minutes in a 66-64 setback against Youngstown State.
 
Damaria Franklin led all scorers in the contest, scoring a game-high 23 points on 10-for-21 shooting while matching the team high with six rebounds. Jalen Warren chipped in 13 points off the bench and Jace Carter added 10 points to go along with six rebounds. The tandem of Warren and Kevin Johnson combined for nine assists with zero turnovers.
 
Trailing 45-36 with 12:52 to go in the game, the Flames went on an extended 19-7 run to climb all the way back and take the lead at 55-52 with 5:39 remaining. The extended scoring spree was capped by a 7-0 run in which Michael Diggins connected in the paint, Carter hit a triple and Franklin stepped back for a long two-pointer.
 
The game would remain within three points for the duration of the contest. After another Carter triple with 2:21 to go put the Flames in front, 61-60, the Penguins countered with four-straight to regain the 64-61 advantage. Franklin's dunk with 30 seconds remaining pulled UIC within one at 64-63, and the Flames had a shot to take the lead in the closing seconds, but a pivotal steal by Youngstown State with eight seconds left sealed the game.
 
Saturday's back-and-forth second half followed an opening half in which the Flames built a nine-point lead at 25-19 with 6:52 to play thanks to a 10-0 UIC run. Youngstown State battled back down the stretch, regaining the lead with under two minutes to play and would take a slim 32-29 lead into the break.
 
UIC hits the road for a pair of Horizon League games this weekend, beginning Thursday at Cleveland State. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. (CT).
 
News and Notes

• Franklin recorded his team-leading eighth game with 20 or more points with the game-high 23. He has now scored 20+ in three of the last five games and has scored in double figures in all but two contests.
• Warren, fresh off a UIC-best 15 points last time out, registered his 10^th game with 10 or more points.
• Carter now has three games this year with 10 or more points, all of which have come since he returned to the lineup on Jan. 6 following an injury. The freshman also added a game-high three steals.