Sunny skies for Flames basketball at Gulf Coast Showcase

Gabe Snider scored a career high with 11 points Monday. Photo: Steve Woltmann

The men’s basketball team (2-3) snapped San Diego’s (5-1) five-game winning streak with a 74-70 victory Monday afternoon in the opening round of the bd Global Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla.

Four Flames reached double figures as senior Kelsey Barlow led the way with a career-high 17 points, his fifth-straight game with 10 or more points.

Sophomore Jake Wiegand notched his first collegiate double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs.

“I’m proud of our team,” head coach Howard Moore said. “Our guys really came together and fought the entire game. We made defensive stops when we needed them and played well offensively.”

Sophomore Gabe Snider set a career best with 11 points on 3-of-4 three-point shooting, eight of which came in the first half.  Junior Marc Brown reached double digits for the fourth time this season with 13 points, hitting 7-of-8 from the foul line.

The score changed hands 12 times throughout the contest and tied on 12 occasions.  The Flames owned a 33-31 halftime lead as they closed out the first period on a 5-0 run capped off by a Snider trey.  He has a team-best 47.4 percent three-point shooting clip.

The game was a back-and-forth affair to start the second half until the Toreros took over the lead at the 13:12 mark and held it for the next four minutes.  That’s when UIC rattled off seven straight points to go in front 57-52 with 7:56 left to play.

The Flames kept the edge for the rest of the game, converting six free throws in the final 21 seconds to cement the victory.