CHICAGO — UIC freshman guard Rashund Washington Jr. had 11 points and six rebounds, junior guard Mekhi Lowery nearly posted a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, and junior guard Ahmad Henderson II turned in a balanced line with 10 points, seven assists and five steals, but No. 10 (Mid-Major) Northern Iowa did just enough in the closing moments to edge past the Flames, 60-54 in a Missouri Valley Conference matchup on Wednesday night at Credit Union 1 Arena.
Playing its third consecutive game against a top-10 mid-major opponent (and fourth this season), UIC (4-7, 0-2 MVC) battled back from an early cold shooting spell to outscore the Panthers (9-2, 1-0), 25-9 over the final 11 minutes of the first half and grab a 27-23 halftime lead. There would then be nine lead changes in the second half alone, along with a pair of ties, the second coming after Washington's two foul shots knotted the score at 52-52 coming out of the last media timeout (3:50). UNI regained the lead, but the Flames clawed within 56-54 on a layup by freshman guard Andy Johnson with 2:23 to play. However, the Panthers managed a bucket and two foul shots with one second to go to wrestle away the victory.
The full box score and play-by-play recap from Wednesday's game against UNI can be found here.
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COACH'S COMMENTS
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
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BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- UIC's 14 steals were the most it has recorded against a Division I opponent since Dec. 22, 2007, when the Flames swiped a Credit Union 1 Arena-record 25 steals in a 97-58 win over Howard.Â
- Lowery came within one rebound of a double-double for the third time this season (he also has two double-doubles to his credit).
- Henderson's seven assists were one off his season high (eight vs. St. Francis on Nov. 11) and his five steals marked the third time this year he's had five or more thefts in a game (career-high seven at Oregon State on Nov. 7; five vs. St. Francis on Nov. 11).
- Washington's six rebounds were one shy of his career high (seven at Chicago State on Nov. 15).
- Graduate student guard Josiah Hammons tied his career high with three steals, the fifth time he has posted that total.
- Of UIC's seven losses this season, four have come by six points or fewer, including three against opponents either ranked or receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll at tipoff.Â
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UP NEXT: CHARLOTTE
UIC steps back out of conference play for its final game prior to the Christmas break on Sunday when it travels to Charlotte, N.C., for a 1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET matchup against the 49ers. The matinee from Halton Arena will be televised live on ESPN+, with live stats available through
UICFlames.com.
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
UIC basketball season and single-game tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster (
Men's Basketball orÂ
Women's Basketball),Â
UICFlames.com/Tickets or by contacting the UIC Athletics Ticket Office at (312) 413-UIC1 (8421) orÂ
athleticsticketing@uic.edu.Â
UIC students are admitted free for all Flames' home games.
In addition, the US Solar Courtside Club is open for each game at Credit Union 1 Arena, with Club passes available for purchase through the UIC Athletics Ticket Office or at the Courtside Club entrance on game nights. Located just steps away from the action on the event level at Credit Union 1 Arena, the US Solar Courtside Club provides a premium experience for all UIC basketball fans, including enhanced food and beverage options. The Club also offers luxury seating and flat-screen televisions, and fans will have earlier access to the arena through a dedicated separate gate entrance, allowing them to get a quicker start on supporting their Flames each and every night.
FOLLOW THE FLAMES
For more information on UIC men's basketball, fans are encouraged to visit
UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (
@UIC_MBB and
@UICFlames) and Instagram (
@uic_mbb and
@uicflames).
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