MURRAY, KY – The UIC men's basketball team (9-10, 1-7 MVC) returned to the road Saturday, as they paid a visit to Murray State to take on the Racers. The Flames battled until the end, but the Murray State offense proved too efficient to overcome, as UIC would fall by a final score of 81-64.
 
FIRST HALF

• Christian Jones got the scoring started for UIC, as his lay-up would serve as the first two points for either side in the game.
• The Racers would answer with an 11-0 run prior to the under-16 minute timeout, putting the Flames down nine points early.
• Jace Carter caught fire behind the three point line, making two consecutive threes to pull UIC back to within five.
• A Filip Skobalj three pointer brought the Flames back within a point at 18-17 at the 8:15 mark of the first half.
• Five early turnovers from the Flames kept them fighting from behind in the first ten minutes of Saturday's contest, giving the Racers nine points off those five blunders.
• The Racers put a strong emphasis on points in the paint in the first half, outscoring the Flames 22-0 inside the lane in the first 20 minutes.
• Carter led the Flames in the first half with nine points, with Jones adding five before the break.

 
SECOND HALF

• The Racers opened the second half by extending their lead to 18, behind an early four points from Jamari Smith to open the half.
• UIC would miss it's first five attempts from the field coming out of the locker room, including it's first four attempts from three before Skobalj ended the drought at the 15:49 mark with his second three-pointer of the game.
• The Flames mounted a 6-0 run at the 13:30 mark of the second half to pull back within 13, forcing five early second half turnovers on the Racers.
• Tre Anderson scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half to help UIC stay within 12 points throughout the half.
• The Racers eclipsed the 50% field goal mark in Saturday's contest with a 57.4% mark, bringing the Flames' record to 0-6 in games where opponents shoot over 50% from the field.

 
 
UP NEXT
The Flames will play their second of two consecutive road games this Tuesday, as they will travel to northwest Indiana for a matchup against the Valparaiso Beacons at the Athletics Recreation Center at 6:00 p.m. CT. The game can be streamed live on ESPN+, and a live audio broadcast will be available on the Flames Network with Jonathan Hood and Kenny Williams.