CHICAGO- The UIC women's basketball team (11-6, 3-3 MVC) completed its two-week homestand Saturday afternoon with a victory over Southern Illinois (6-9, 3-3 MVC), by a final score of 65-62.

The Flames were led offensively by Josie Filer, scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the game. Jaida McCloud (11 points, eight rebounds) and Sara Zabrecky (11 points, two assists) also scored in double-digits.

FIRST HALF- The Salukis' controlled the tempo of the game early on, outscoring the Flames in the first (17-12) and second (15-12) quarters. The Salukis reached their largest lead of the game at 14 points mid-way through the second quarter.

The Flames shot 30.76% in the first half and trailed by eight points headed to the locker room, with a halftime score of 32-24. Tiana Jackson led the way in the first half for the Flames, scoring seven of her eight points in the half in her second stat of the season. Eight points was a season-high for the guard.


SECOND HALF- The Flames came into the second half revitalized, as they immediately closed the gap of the Saluki's lead, thanks to an early 8-0 run. Filer, who only had three points in the first half, led the offense in the third quarter, scoring eight of her 22 points in the game.

After trailing for most of the first half, the Flames regained the lead in the closing minutes of the third quarter, Southern Illinois tied it with a last-second three-pointer to go into the fourth quarter, tied 42-42.

The fourth quarter was the best ten minutes of play from UIC, scoring 23 points collectively. They shined from the
charity stripe, going 13-for-14, making 92.9% of their free-throws.

The Flames regained the lead late in the game and fended off the Salukis until the final buzzer to secure the win, 65-62.
NOTABLE STATS- With a 3-3 record in conference play, the Flames currently sit seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference standings.  

This was Sara Zabrecky's first time hitting double figures since her five three-pointer, 18-point performance against Davidson back on Nov. 22.

The Flames return on the road next week when they take on Drake Bulldogs (9-5, 4-2 MVC) Thursday, Jan. 19.  Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT.