Jan. 6, 2000

Box Score

Chicago, Ill. – UIC freshman Maurice Brown tallied career-highs of 22 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Flames to a thrilling 70-58 victory over defending Midwestern Collegiate Conference champions University of Detroit Mercy Thursday night at the UIC Pavilion.

The win lifts the Flames to 6-9 overall and 1-0 in the MCC while Detroit falls to 8-6 and 0-1 in the MCC.

Brown, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds in the second half, is the first UIC player to grab 18 caroms since March 4, 1995 when Sherell Ford hauled in 18 boards at Northern Illinois. Brown’s 18-rebound performance versus Detroit ties the school’s ninth-highest single-game output.

“When I recruited Maurice, I envisioned he’d be a tremendous rebounder and offensive player,” UIC Head Coach Jimmy Collins. “We know if he comes to player every night, he can be our “beast from the east.””

“I’ve always known I could play the game the way I played tonight,” Brown said. “I’ve been playing ball all year, but I haven’t been playing my game. Tonight I displayed how I can play.”

In the league opener for both squads, Detroit and UIC battled to a 30-30 halftime score and no team enjoyed a lead larger than four points through the first 16:27 minutes of the second half.

The UIC defense held Detroit to just 25.9% field goal shooting in the second half and Titans leading scorer Rashad Phillips to 14 points on 6-of-21 shooting, 9.5 points below his team-leading 23.5 ppg average coming in.

UIC, leading by just two points, 55-53, with 5:03 remaining, used a 15-5 run to close out the game and earn its first victory over Detroit in five games.

Detroit, the preseason favorites in a vote of the MCC coaches, sports information directors and media members, was led by Terrell Riggs who finished with a career-high 21 points while he matched a personal-best with 14 rebounds.

“It certainly means that we are close to being a very good team,” Collins said of tonight’s win. “One thing we haven’t done all year is play for a full 40 minutes and tonight it showed us what happens when you accomplish that.”

In addition to Brown’s 22 points, three other UIC players also reached double-digits with Theandre Kimbrough totaling 12 points, Jon-Pierre Mitchom 11 poins and Joe Scott 10 points.