NEW HAVEN, Conn. — UIC freshman guard Andy Johnson scored a team-high 15 points to lead four Flames in double figures, but No. 3 (Mid-Major) Yale did just enough down the stretch, making 8-of-10 foul shots in the final 3:26 to hold off UIC, 80-66 on Sunday afternoon at John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, Conn,
Junior guard/forward Mekhi Lowery added 11 points, while graduate student guard Josiah Hammons and junior guard Ahmad Henderson II both scored 10 points for UIC (4-5), which led for the majority of the first half by as many as six points. The Flames then battled through a cold shooting spell to start the second half and clawed within six points on five occasions, the last at 66-60 on Lowery's putback with just over four minutes to go before the Bulldogs (10-1) outscored the Flames, 14-6 in the closing minutes.
The full box score and play-by-play recap from Sunday's game at Yale can be found here.
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- UIC shot a season-best .882 from the foul line (15-of-17).
- The Flames protected the ball well against Yale, committing a season-low eight turnovers.
- UIC had a season-high eight blocked shots, including two apiece from graduate student forward Abdul Momoh (his fifth game this year with multiple blocks) and Andy Johnson (career high in that category).
- Johnson also tied his career highs with three assists and two steals on Sunday at Yale.
- Josiah Hammons scored a season-high 10 points, knocking down 3-of-5 three-pointers and converting a 4-point play to get UIC going in the second half.
- Ahmad Henderson II has scored in double figures in all nine UIC games this season.
- Redshirt freshman forward Jayce Nathaniel earned his first career start and posted a team-high eight rebounds.
- Graduate student guard Sam Silverstein also made his first start of the season (and first in a UIC uniform), collecting five rebounds in 29 minutes.
- UIC was playing its first game in the state of Connecticut since the Flames' inaugural NCAA Tournament appearance on March 12, 1998, at the Hartford Civic Center (now PeoplesBank Arena), a 77-62 loss to Charlotte.
UP NEXT: BELMONT
UIC will open Missouri Valley Conference play next Saturday, Dec. 13, when it travels to Belmont for a 3 p.m. (CT) matchup with the Bruins (who are ranked No. 5 and receiving a first-place vote in this week's College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 Poll). Next weekend's game at Belmont will air live from the Curb Event Center in Nashville on ESPN+.
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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