CHICAGO -- UIC was aggressive at both ends of the floor as it posted its largest margin of victory in the Steve McClain era by demolishing Delaware State in the first game of the 2017 Adolph Rupp Classic Thursday night at the UIC Pavilion, 95-55. The 40-point win is the largest in 69 games under McClain's leadership. 

The Flames (2-1) buried a season-high 12 3-pointers and shot a season-best 54.5 percent from the field to best the Hornets (1-3).

UIC's Dominique Matthews scored a game-high 19 points with four 3-pointers, while fellow sophomore Dikembe Dixson was in double figures for the second consecutive game with 16 points.
 
Game Headlines

• Fast Start Fuels Flames: UIC looked to play with plenty of tempo, as it usually does, in the early going. The Flames scored 15 of the game's first 20 points with Dixson, Matthews and Jordan Blount splashing down 3-pointers in the first five minutes to give the Flames an early 15-5 lead.
• Run Extends Even More: The home team outscored the visitors 23-2 over a span of just more than 10 minutes in the first half. When the drought ended for Delaware State with an Ameer Bennett Jumper, the Flames still maintained a 21-point lead with 7:38 remaining in the first half.
• Dialed in From Deep: Five different Flames hit a 3-pointer in the first nine minutes, and six in the first half. Marcus Ottey's triple from the left wing gave UIC a 23-6 advantage and prompted Delaware State to call an early timeout. In addition to Dixson, Matthews and Ottey, Godwin Boahen, Jordan Blount and Tarkus Ferguson connected from beyond the arc in the early going.
• Too Slow Tonight: UIC smothering defense forced Delaware State into a pair of 24-second violations in the first half. In addition, the Flames pressured the Hornets into 10 first-half turnovers.  DSU was nailed with two more 24-second violations in the second half with an additional seven turnovers.
• Not in Tai's House: Tai Odiase, who has averaged 100.5 blocks per season over the last two years, had been off to a slow start with just one in each of the first two games this season. He blew past that mark with three rejections in 12 first-half minutes of action.
• Reaching Higher: UIC pushed its lead over 30 points, 31 to be exact, for the first time when Dixson connected from downtown with 6:00 left in the first half. The advantage at the break would reach 34 points when Naradain James, who saw his first action as a Flame Thursday, slammed home a missed shot from Boahen in the waning seconds.
• In Control: The Flames never led by fewer than 32 points over the final 20 minutes. After opening the game 0-for-11 from 3-point range, Delaware State began to make a few over UIC's zone defense, connecting for 5-of-11 attempts in the second half.
• Setting a New Standard: Ottey made two free throws with 15 seconds remaining in the game to give UIC its first 40-point lead of the ballgame. After Delaware State missed a late 3-pointer, the Flames held on for a 95-55 triumph, which was the largest margin of victory in the McClain era.

Highlights



Fast Flames Facts

• Matthews scored 13 of his game-high 16 points in the second half. The Chicagoan went 5-of-7 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, while only playing 11 minutes in the final frame.
• Odiase is 2-1 on the opening tip to start games this season. When he has won the jump, the Flames have won the game.
• Odiase started season with seven consecutive free throws made before drawing iron on his fourth attempt of the night with 6:18 to go in the first half. A 52-percent free throw shooter for his career entering the season, the center is shooting 90 percent (9-of-10) from the charity stripe in three games this season.
• James and Michael Diggins both scored their first points as Division I players in a UIC uniform. James' basket came on the put-back jam at the end of the first half, while Diggins caught an alley-oop from Tarkus Ferguson with 9:31 remaining in the game for his first field goal for the Flames.
• UIC won the rebounding battle for the first time in three games this season, 39-38.
• Delaware State was credited with 20 offensive rebounds, though eight were team rebounds. The Hornets couldn't make the most of their second chances however, scoring only five second-chance points. UIC, on the other hand, had 21 second-chance points off 12 offensive boards.
• The Flames never trailed and the game was never tied. That is first time in three games this season that has happened. UIC and North Carolina traded the lead twice on Nov. 10, while the Flames and Saint Joseph's battled through 14 ties and 10 lead changes in an overtime thriller on Monday night.
• UIC's previous best margin of victory under McClain was 38 points, which had happened twice. The most recent occurrence came on Dec. 22, 2016 against Roosevelt (91-53). The first also came against the Lakers in McClain's first win at UIC on Nov. 24, 2015 (96-58).
• UIC has been led in scoring by three different players in three games this season. Boahen netted 15 points off the bench against NCCU (Nov. 10), Dixson delivered 23 against Saint Joseph's (Nov. 13) and Matthews poured in 19 Thursday.
• Odiase finished the game with four blocks and now has 255 for his career. The senior trails UIC's all-time record holder Scott VanderMeer by 18.
• Delaware State's leading scorer, Kobe Gantz, averaged 17.3 points per game in his team's first three contests. The Flames held him to four points, all of which came from the free throw line. Gantz was 0-of-12 from the field Thursday.

Postgame Reaction



Up Next

• UIC hosts another Rupp Classic game on Saturday, Nov. 18 against Fort Wayne at 3 p.m.
• The Mastodons are 2-1 on the young season with a win over Delaware State and a loss to Horizon League foe Oakland on opening night.
• The Flames lead the all-time series, 2-0, and Saturday's game will be the first since Feb. 15, 2003.