BERKELEY, Calif. — UIC freshman guard Rashund Washington Jr. scored a team-high 15 points and sophomore guard Elijah Crawford posted his second career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 12 assists, but California pulled away during the closing minutes for a 91-73 decision in a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) first-round game on Wednesday night at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif. The Flames (19-16) close their season with their second-ever NIT appearance (first in 23 years) and their first postseason berth and best record since 2017-18.
Facing its first Power Four conference opponent this year in the ACC's Golden Bears, UIC was not fazed, leading for the vast majority of the first half by as many as nine points before Cal (22-11) made a late run to grab a 39-35 halftime lead. The Flames charged out of the gate in the second half with an 8-2 run, regaining a 43-41 lead on a layup by graduate student forward Abdul Momoh with 17:57 to play. Momoh finished with 14 points (on 7-of-8 shooting) and was a key catalyst in a Flames' post game that outscored the bigger Golden Bears in the paint, 50-28.
The two sides then traded punches for the next 10 minutes, with Cal opening up an 11-point lead before UIC responded with a 10-2 run that drew the Flames within 63-60 on a tip-in by junior guard/forward Mekhi Lowery at the 7:25 mark. The Golden Bears went on a 14-4 run, but Washington's right-wing three-pointer trimmed the margin back to 77-69 just before the four-minute media timeout. However, Cal closed the game out with another 14-4 spurt to advance to the second round of the NIT.
The full box score and play-by-play recap from Wednesday's game at Cal can be found here.
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- UIC shot 50.9 percent from the floor on the road at an ACC/Power Four opponent, the 10th time this year the Flames have made more than half their shots (9-1 record).
- UIC scored at least 50 paint points for the fifth time this year, and third against a Division I opponent (also vs. Illinois State on Feb. 15 and Murray State on March 6 in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals).
- The Flames posted their sixth 20-assist game of the season and first since back-to-back 26-assist games against Illinois State (Feb. 15) and at Evansville (Feb. 18).
- Crawford's 12 assists were the most by a UIC player in a game since Feb. 28, 2024, when CJ Jones had 14 assists in a 107-105 triple-overtime loss to Drake at Credit Union 1 Arena (most in a regulation game since Dec. 1, 2020, when Teyvion Kirk had 14 assists in a win over Valparaiso, also at Credit Union 1 Arena).
- Crawford's 12 assists were the most by a UIC player in a postseason game since March 20, 2017, when Tarkus Ferguson also had 12 assists in a CBI quarterfinal win over George Washington at Credit Union 1 Arena.
- Crawford's other double-double came on Feb. 18 at Evansville (10 points, 10 assists).
- UIC was making its eighth postseason appearance as a Division I program, its first since 2018 (CIT) and its first NIT outing since 2003 (L, 63-62 at Western Michigan).
- UIC's 19 wins this season were the most for the Flames since they went 20-16 in in that 2017-18 season that culminated with a trip to the CIT championship game.
- UIC's 73 points were the most for the Flames in a postseason tournament game since March 21, 2018, when they won 83-81 at Austin Peay in the second round of the CIT.
- The Flames played 35 games this season, one shy of the school record set in both 2016-17 and 2017-18.
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