CHICAGO –  UIC closed the non-conference portion of its 2017-18 schedule Saturday afternoon by dismantling the Trinity Christian College Trolls, 84-45, at the UIC Pavilion.
 
In addition to outscoring the Trolls, UIC (5-8) dominated the glass, 48-29, winning the rebounding battle for the sixth consecutive game. In those contests the Flames have a margin of +85 on the backboard.
 
Sophomores Dikembe Dixson and Dominique Matthews were close to unstoppable for the Flames (5-8). The pair combined to score 45 points with season-high tallies of 25 (Dixson) and 20 points (Matthews). Dixson converted a season-high nine field goals, while Matthews buried six shots from beyond the arc to match a career high in that area.
 
First Half Headlines

• Dominique From Downtown: Dominique Matthews started the scoring Saturday with a 3-pointer from the left corner on UIC's first possession of the game and he went on to make two more and shoot 3-of-4 from beyond the arc in the first half. The sophomore was the only member of the Flames to convert a 3-pointer in the first half.
• Dikembe From…Everywhere: While Matthews scored all nine of his first-half points from beyond the arc, classmate Dikembe Dixson scored from just about everywhere. The Matewan, W. Va., native scored in the paint and elsewhere as he notched 17 first-half points. He punctuated the first half with a steal and breakaway slam dunk in the final second to put the Flames ahead by 22 points at the break, 45-23.
• Clint Carries the Bench: Backup big man Clint Robinson made a significant impact in the first half. In eight minutes of action the senior posted seven points and hauled in four rebounds, including three on the offensive glass. Robinson also tallied one of three first-half blocks for the home team.
• Start Slow & Finish Fast: Both started slow on the offensive end, but the Flames in particular cranked it up down the stretch. After beginning the game by making only one of its first six shots (16.7 percent), UIC finished the half at 45.5 percent (15-of-33). From inside the arc, the Flames shot 50 percent (12-of-24), and from the free-throw line the home team made 12 of 14 attempts (85.7 percent) in the first half.

 Second Half Headlines

• More of the Same: UIC refused to let the Trolls into the ballgame. After pushing the lead to 30 points on another steal and dunk from Dixson with 12:31 to go in the frame, the Flames would never drop under that mark.
• Forty is Fine: The home team pushed its advantage all the way to 40 points with 1:10 to go in the game after Michael Diggins sank a pair of free throws. That could have equaled the largest margin of victory of the season, but TCC's Zack Austell made a 3-pointer with under a minute to go.
• Oop There It Is: The final basket of the game brought the crowd to its feet with 41 seconds to go. Jordan Blount spotted Jacob Wiley across the court and threw him a textbook alley-oop pass that Wiley flushed with authority to seal a 39-point triumph, 84-45.

Highlights



Notables

• Dikembe Dixson scored 25 points on Saturday afternoon to move even close to 1,000 as a member of the Flames. He now owns 984 points 53 career games at UIC.
• Dominique Matthews converted a season-high six 3-pointers against the Trolls. It was the sixth time this season that made at least three shots from downtown and the third time that he splashed home at least four in one game.
• It was the first time this season that UIC had two players score at least 20 points in the same game.
• Clint Robinson tallied a season-high 13 points Saturday. His career high of 15 points came against this same Trinity Christian squad in last season's meeting on Nov. 19, 2016. He also matched a season high with eight rebounds Saturday.
• Naradain James appeared in his third game of the season. The newcomer had one steal while playing the final seven minutes of the game.
• UIC corralled a season-high 17 offensive rebounds Saturday. Tai Odiase and Robinson each notched four offensive rebounds against the Trolls to lead the Flames.
• Michael Diggins notched a career-high four assists. He matched Jordan Blount with four to lead all players in the victory.
• UIC has won its five games this season by an average of 26.6 points. The smallest margin of victory, 10 points, came in the season opener against North Carolina Central.
• The Flames knocked off the Trolls in the second consecutive season. Prior to last season's meeting, which UIC won 102-66, the two teams had not gotten together on the hardwood since 1976.
• UIC finished non-conference play with a record of 5-3 at the UIC Pavilion.

Postgame Reaction



Up Next

• The Flames begin Horizon League play and a three-game road trip on Thursday, Dec. 28, with a visit to Wright State (8-5).
• The Raiders closed non-conference play on Friday, Dec. 22 with an impressive four-point win against an ACC foe at Georgia Tech.
• Thursday's game will tip at 6 p.m. CT and be broadcast on ESPN3.