Nov. 6, 2008

Box Score

Chicago, Ill. - The UIC women's basketball beat Lewis, 68-60, in its 2008-09 preseason debut on Thursday night at the UIC Pavilion.

Briana Hinkle chipped in a team-high 15 points against the Flyers. Jasmine Bailey was one point shy of a double-double in her first collegiate contest with nine points and a team-best 10 rebounds.

Kelly Dianis led Lewis with 16 points, including four three-pointers.

"I think we had some really good moments," said head coach Lisa Ryckbosch. "I am pleased that the team dug deep and a lot of different players contributed. I think we have a bright future."

UIC led by as much as seven points in the opening stanza as two jumpers and a successful trip to the line pushed the Flames to a 15-8 lead halfway through the first half.

Lewis would slowly chip away at UIC's lead to knot the game at 26 each with 1:30 on the clock. The Flames took a brief two-point advantage with less than a minute left before intermission, but the Flyers capitalized on their final possession to tie the game at 28-28 at the half.

After working out the kinks in the first 20 minutes, the Flames sparked a 7-0 outburst in the first six minutes of the second period. The Flyers regrouped following a timeout with eight straight points, eventually taking a 50-48 lead on two free throws.

UIC bounced back and regained a comfortable seven-point advantage late in the half. Lewis cut the deficit to four points before the Flames turned on the heat and cruised to a 68-60 win over the Flyers in their first tune-up of the 2008-09 season.

UIC concludes preseason action on Tuesday, Nov. 11 against St. Xavier at 6 p.m. at the Pavilion.