CHICAGO — UIC junior guard Ahmad Henderson II scored a game-high 22 points, and redshirt freshman forward Jayce Nathaniel added a career-high 17 points, including a go-ahead three-pointer with 1:31 to play, but Murray State outscored the Flames, 9-4 in the final 67 seconds to squeeze out an 81-77 victory on Thursday night at Credit Union 1 Arena. The Missouri Valley Conference matchup was a nailbiter from start to finish, with neither side leading by more than six points all night, resulting in 10 ties and 11 lead changes.
It also marked the seventh UIC game this season to be decided by 10 points or fewer and/or in overtime, including all three MVC games which have come against opponents ranked in the top 20 of the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll (Murray State was ranked No. 19 at tipoff).
Graduate student forward Abdul Momoh chipped in 14 points off the bench, including a layup while being fouled with 20 seconds left that cut the UIC deficit to 77-75. He missed the ensuing foul shot, which was tipped out of bounds and initially ruled Flames' ball, tentatively giving the hosts an opportunity to tie or take the lead on a final possession. However, following a Racers' challenge and video review, the call was overturned and Murray State subsequently converted four foul shots to hold off UIC (5-9, 0-3 MVC).
The full box score and play-by-play recap from Thursday's game against Murray State can be found here.
COACH'S COMMENTS
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Seven of UIC's 12 Division I opponents this year have been ranked or receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The Flames have come oh-so-close to winning many of those games, with five ranked losses by 10 points or fewer, and a sixth (at No. 3 Yale) in which UIC was trailing by just six points inside of four minutes remaining before the Bulldogs salted the game away at the foul line.
- Despite being 0-3 in conference play, UIC has lost those three contests by an average of just 4.3 points per game and either led or was within one possession of the lead in the final two minutes of all three Valley games.
- UIC held Murray State, which came in averaging a conference-best 88.9 points per game and shooting over 48 percent from the floor, to nearly nine points under its season scoring average and eight percentage points below its season field-goal percentage. In fact, the Racers' .403 field-goal percentage was the second-lowest by a Flames' opponent this season (Detroit Mercy shot .312 in the season opener back on Nov. 3 at Credit Union 1 Arena).
- Jayce Nathaniel scored a career-high 17 points, one more than his previous best that he set on Nov. 7 at Oregon State. Nathaniel also knocked down a career-high three three-pointers in as many tries.
- Ahmad Henderson II posted his second 20-point game of the season and third of his UIC career, finishing one point off his season high and personal-best in a Flames uniform (23 vs. Detroit Mercy on Nov. 3). Henderson also went over the 900-point mark for his career (he now has 915 in his three-year collegiate run, including his first season at Niagara in 2023-24).
- Henderson tied his career high with 15 free throw attempts (also the most by an MVC player this year) and finished two foul shots off his career high of 14 made free throws (set on Nov. 22 against Southern Indiana at the Boardwalk Battle in Daytona Beach, Fla.).
- Freshman guard Rashund Washington Jr. tied his career high with seven rebounds, the third time this year and second time in three games he's recorded that total (Nov. 15 at Chicago State and Dec. 21 at Charlotte).
- Graduate student forward Abdul Momoh registered his second consecutive double-digit scoring game, following up his season-high 17 points on Monday against Illinois Tech with Thursday's 14-point effort.
- Graduate student guard Sam Silverstein played in his 100th career game on Thursday, including prior stops at Harvard and Cal Baptist.
UP NEXT: VALPARAISO
The Flames make the short drive east on Sunday for a 2 p.m. (CT) MVC matinee at longtime regional rival Valparaiso. The game will be televised live from the Athletics-Recreation Center on ESPN+, with live stats available at
UICFlames.com..
UIC will then return home to Credit Union 1 Arena next Wednesday, Jan. 7, to take on Southern Illinois at 7 p.m. (CT). It will be '70s Night (so break out your bell bottoms, leisure suits, platform shoes and disco moves!) and free UIC Flames rollabanna signs will be given away to early-arriving fans, courtesy of the MVC and State Farm. Next Wednesday's game will be televised live on ESPN+ and can be heard free of charge around the world on the Flames Network at
UICFlames.com (which will also offer live stats)
.
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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