DETROIT –  In a wild game that featured 19 lead changes it was UIC that was left standing with a 74-69 victory over Detroit Mercy at Calihan Hall Friday night.
 
A pair of guards, Tarkus Ferguson and Dominique Matthews, paced the Flames (14-13, 7-7 Horizon League) with 20 and 19 points, respectively. The pair combined to make eight shots from beyond the arc with Ferguson sinking a career-high four 3-pointers on eight attempts. Clint Robinson helped out with eight points and eight rebounds in 12 hard minutes off the bench. The Montego Bay, Jamaica, native registered six of his eight boards on the offensive end.
 
UIC was strong defensively, especially down the stretch. The squad blocked a season-high 12 shots led by five from Tai Odiase. The Flames held the Titans to a mark of 32.3 percent from the floor in the game and to only two field goals in the final four minutes of action.

How It Happened

• The Flames game featured three ties and six lead changes in the first 5:11 of action. Marcus Ottey's acrobatic layup tied the score at 11, but Patrick Robinson Jr.'s 3-pointer negated the deadlock.
• Detroit Mercy pushed its first half lead up to eight points with a shade over 11 minutes remaining in the period. UIC buckled down and used a 17-5 run that was capped on back-to-back 3-pointers from Kyle Guice and Matthews. Matthews' shot gave UIC a four-point lead, the team's largest of the evening to that point.
• The Titans wrestled the lead back, 34-33, on a free throw with 1:31 to go, but Ferguson netted a layup in the waning seconds of the period to give UIC a one-point edge at the break.
• Detroit Mercy pushed its way back to another eight-point lead, 44-36, over the opening 3:31 of the second half. Once again the Flames chipped away by getting to the line and dunking the ball at the rim when the opportunity was there. Matthews found a cutting Robinson and delivered a pretty pass that the forward slammed home to make it a one-point game less than two minutes later.
• UIC could not get over the hump until K.J. Santos stepped up and drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 11:13 left. UIC soon pushed the lead to four when Odiase scored at the rim off a pass from Ferguson.
• The home and visiting teams traded leads of no more than three points until Santos gave the Flames the lead for good with 3:54 left. The freshman drove the baseline, drew contact, and scored to give UIC a 63-62 lead.
• With UIC ahead by three points with 2:13 to go, Ferguson scored five consecutive points for his team to help push the edge to six points with 1:44 left.
• Detroit Mercy's Corey Allen drove down and canned his fifth triple of the night, while drawing Santos' fifth foul. Allen made the free throw to make it a two-point game, but that was as close as the Titans would come. Two free throws from Ottey and a pair from Ferguson down the stretch salted away UIC's 74-69 victory.

 Beyond The Box Score

• This was the 12^th UIC game this season, and sixth in a row, that was decided by five points or less. The Flames are 6-6 in those contests and 3-3 in the last five.
• The Flames completed a regular-season sweep of the Titans for the first time since the 2008-09 season. UIC has also won both games against Milwaukee and Youngstown State in Horizon League play this year.
• In the second season under Steve McClain, the Flames have won seven conference games for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign. UIC's 14 wins overall are also the most since that year (18).
• UIC improved to 4-2 in #HLMBB road games this season. Five of those six games have been decided by five points or less and UIC is 4-1 in those tight affairs.
• The Flames made double-digit 3-pointers (10) for the sixth time this season and the fourth time in the last five outings. UIC is shooting 43.3 percent (52-120) over that span
• Ferguson reached the 20-point plateau for the second time in his young career. The Belleville, Ill., native had six rebounds, a game-high three assists, and two blocks in the victory.
• Odiase blocked five shots, marking the fifth time in 14 Horizon League games that he has reached that mark. In two victories over the Titans this season, the center has sent back 13 shots.
• UIC's 12 blocks marked the best output in 57 games under McClain. It was one shy of the program record (13) set on Jan. 16, 1993 against Northeastern (IL).
• Ottey blocked the first two shots of his career Friday, while Robinson (3) and Ferguson (2) matched their own career highs.
• Matthews, who scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half, has reached double digits in the scoring column in six consecutive games and 11 of the last 12. The reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Week is averaging a team-best 13.6 points per game in conference play, while shooting 46.6 percent from the field.
• Robinson registered at least four offensive rebounds for the ninth time as a Flame. His eight points were also the most since scoring 11 in the win at Cleveland State on Jan. 12.
• The Flames won the battle on the boards, 46-43. Both teams were credited with 18 offensive rebounds.
• The Flames are 11-3 when leading at the half this season
• UIC is 12-4 in night games that tip at 6 p.m. CT, or later.

 What's Next?

• UIC will remain in the Motor City this weekend for a game in Rochester on Sunday against Oakland.
• The Golden Grizzlies edged the Flames, 58-57, on Jan. 8 in the first meeting between the two teams this season at the UIC Pavilion. It was the lowest offensive output of the year for the Flames, and the second-lowest point total for Oakland.
• Sunday's game will stream exclusively on ESPN3 at 2 p.m. CT. Will Haskett (play-by-play) and Chris Sparks (analyst) will be on the call.