UIC vs. Delaware State Recap

Recap

What Happened

UIC dominated Delaware State en route to a 95-55 victory at the UIC Pavilion Thursday night.

After a difficult overtime loss to Saint Joseph’s on Monday night, UIC (2-1) rebounded with a confidence-boosting victory over Delaware State. The Flames held the Hornets to 29.2% shooting as a team. Delaware State guard Kobe Gantz, the Hornets leading scorer at 17.3 points coming into the game, was held to four points on 0-12

shooting from the field.

Redshirt sophomore Dominique Matthews, back in the starting lineup, led UIC with 19 points. Matthews got his outside shot to fall, he went 4-7 from three. Redshirt sophomore Dikembe Dixson added 16 points, and sophomores Godwin Boahen (12) and Marcus Ottey (13) were the other double-digit scorer’s for the Flames.

Key Sequence

UIC never trailed against Delaware State. The game got out of hand for the Hornets during UIC’s 23-2 run early in the first half. After a Gantz free throw brought the score to 16-5 with UIC up, Delaware State didn’t score again until there was 5:42 left in the half. At that point, UIC’s lead grew to 39-8. During the 23-2 run, Delaware State shot 1-14 from the field and committed three turnovers.

What It Means

UIC defended its home court and won big against a mediocre opponent. The Flames shot 54% from the field, 42% from three and 79% from the free throw line. Delaware State shot 29% from the field and 25% from three. That adds up to a 95-55 victory for UIC.

What’s Next

IPFW (2-1) takes on UIC on Saturday afternoon at the UIC Pavilion. Delaware State lost 85-71 to IPFW yesterday. Purdue transfer Bryson Scott is off to a scintillating start, averaging 23.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.0 steals. West Chicago native John Konchar is back to his stat-sheet stuffing ways to the tune of 13.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.7 steals.

Notes

-Head coach Steve McClain went back to the starting lineup he utilized on opening night: Tarkus Ferguson, Dominique Matthews, Dikembe Dixson, Jordan Blount and Tai Odiase.

-Boahen and Ottey form a dynamic duo off the bench. The two Canadian guards combined for 25 points, six assists and five rebounds. McClain’s backcourt is talented and deep, should be one of the best in the Horizon League.

-Sophomore Jordan Blount bounced back after a rough game against Saint Joseph’s. He had seven points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes.

-Junior Naradain James received his first game action of the season, and he wasn’t shy about getting his shot. James, a 6-foot-6 wing, shot 1-7 from the field in 15 minutes. He finished with two points, four rebounds and two blocks.

-Freshman Michael Diggins scored his first career points as a Flame, finishing with four points and two rebounds in ten minutes off the bench. He was once again at the top of the 1-3-1 zone when UIC played pressure defense.

-McClain said freshman Ralph Bissainthe will redshirt this season. He said it makes sense to redshirt Bissainthe because he likely won’t receive meaningful minutes at the wing spot given the depth at the position, but he’s feels Bissainthe has a bright future.