NORMAL, Ill. -- UIC shot 49 percent from the field on the road Tuesday night, and 54 percent in the second half, but the Flames were hampered by 20 turnovers in a one-point loss at Illinois State, falling 71-70.

Marcus Ottey scored a game-high 23 points off the bench for UIC (4-7), while Dikembe Dixson scored 19 for the second contest in a row. Jordan Blount had a career-high 11 rebounds and four assists to lead the Flames.

Game Headlines

• From Way Downtown: UIC sophomore Dominique Matthews made a couple of 3-pointers to lead all players in the first half. His second conversion from way downtown with a hand in his face gave UIC a 16-13 lead with 9:33 gone by in the game.
• Flames Increase Edge: The visiting team would push the lead to six points a few minutes later when Dikembe Dixson knifed through the lane and scored on a pretty reverse layup. That bucket put UIC ahead, 19-13, and was part of a stretch when the Flames converted five consecutive field goals and 8-of-10 shots from the floor.
• Redbirds Close Half on Run: After UIC grabbed a four-point following a pair of Marcus Ottey free throws with 2:09 to go in the first half, the home team scored eight unanswered points to finish the frame and grab a four-point lead at the half, its largest of the game to that point. Four different Redbirds scored during the surge that gave ISU a 33-29 lead at the break.
• Presence in the Paint: UIC found success inside during the opening minutes of the second half as it turned the six-point deficit into a four-point lead with 16:12 remaining. Many of the baskets in the sequence came via layups.
• No Lead is Safe: In a game that featured 14 ties and 14 lead changes, UIC snatched it back with 5:46 to go thanks to seven unanswered points. Milik Yarbrough, the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player and Newcomer of the Week, put the Redbirds back in front with five straight points of his own. As it would turn out, the burst put ISU in the driver's seat for good.
• One More Shot: Thanks in large part to inconsistent free-throwing shooting by the hosts, the Flames were within striking distance down the stretch. Ottey went coast-to-coast to score with 13.9 seconds to go, shrinking UIC's deficit from four to two in the process. After drawing a foul with no time going off the clock, ISU's Keyshawn Evans split two free throws. Down by three, Ottey launched a shot that would have tied the game, but drew iron. Jacob Wiley corralled the rebound and put it up and in with just under two seconds to go, but that was as close as UIC could come in the hostile environment, falling 71-70.

Notables

• The Flames, who entered the game ranked fourth in the NCAA with 7.0 blocks per game, blocked 10 Illinois State shots Tuesday. It was the third time this season that UIC recorded at least 10 blocks, and the first since sending back a season-high 12 shots against Wisconsin-Parkside on Dec. 6. Tai Odiase had four to pace UIC, while Jacob Wiley recorded a career-high two blocks.
• Marcus Ottey's 23 points led all players Tuesday and marked a season high. He came off the bench, but wound up playing 37 of the games 40 minutes. It was the third time Ottey led the Flames in scoring this season, doing so all three times as a reserve.
• Ottey also made a season-high 10 field goals, making 10 of his 12 shots from the floor, many of which came in the paint.
• Jordan Blount hauled in 11 rebounds for the Flames. That marked a career-high for the sophomore and the most in a single game for any UIC player this season. He also recorded four of the team's six assists.
• Illinois State's seven turnovers were the fewest by UIC opponent in a single game this season, and all seven came in the first half. The previous low, nine, came against another Missouri Valley team, Loyola Chicago (Dec. 2).

Postgame Reaction



Up Next

• UIC concludes its two-game road trip on Thursday, Dec. 21 with a contest at Northern Illinois.
• The penultimate nonconference game will tip off from the Convocation Center in DeKalb, Ill., at 7 p.m. CT. It will be televised on ESPN3.
• The Flames finish nonconference play on Saturday. Dec. 23 at the UIC Pavilion against Trinity Christian. That matchup will begin at 3 p.m. CT.