Flames look to keep on winning
Josh Crittle led the Flames against Northwestern Saturday with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Photo: Steve Woltmann
After a win over Northwestern Saturday, UIC begins a three-game homestand today, hosting Roosevelt University at 7 p.m. at the UIC Pavilion.
The team takes on Colorado State at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Pavilion.
Seniors Josh Crittle and Daniel Barnes combined for 23 points and 15 rebounds in the win over the Wildcats, 50-44.
The Flames extended their winning streak to five games and improved to 6-1 on the season.
The win marked UIC’s fourth-straight triumph over Northwestern. The Flames improved to 2-0 versus Big Ten Conference opponents under head coach Howard Moore.
“Our guys are starting to reap the benefits of all the hard work that they put in during the offseason,” Moore said. “It’s rewarding to see these guys have some success.
“It’s been really refreshing to coach this group and I’m excited about the possibilities of what we can accomplish going forward. We’re not satisfied, and we’ve got so much to get better at. But it is a very good day to be a Flame.”
Crittle scored a team-high 13 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
Barnes scored 10 points on four field goals and corralled six boards.
Junior forward Hayden Humes and senior point guard Gary Talton chipped in eight points each.
The Flames held Northwestern to just 34.9 percent shooting during the game, which included a combined 20 ties and lead changes.
UIC outscored the Wildcats, 24-20, in the paint, 14-4 off turnovers and 15-3 on second-chance points. The Flames forced Northwestern into 16 turnovers and swiped nine total steals.
The Flames broke an early tie with an 8-4 run, claiming an 11-7 lead with less than 14 minutes left in the first half. UIC held the lead for the next five minues, before Northwestern tied the game at 15-15.
Northwestern took the lead, but Talton hit two free throws to push UIC back ahead, 21-20.
Eleven of the ties and lead changes came in the first stanza, as Northwestern took a 26-25 lead at halftime.
UIC was forced to take its first time-out with about 16 minutes left in the second half after Northwestern claimed its largest lead, 32-27.
Barnes hit a three-pointer out of the time-out, pulling the deficit back within one possession. Crittle converted a three-point play to push the Flames back in front.
Sophomore forward Marc Brown received a pass from Crittle with eight minutes remaining, scored a basket and drew the foul to help the Flames build a three-point lead, 38-35.
UIC stayed ahead until the Wildcats took their final lead, 42-40, with four minutes left.
The Flames outscored the Wildcats, 10-2, to secure their second-straight road win.
Crittle and Humes combined to go 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the final 29 seconds.
Students can watch the Flames for free with i-card, but employees and the public can purchase two-for-one tickets to Saturday’s game by calling 312-413-8421 by Friday.
