UIC vs. Green Bay Recap

What Happened

UIC easily defeated Green Bay 84-73 Wednesday evening at the UIC Pavilion behind an impressive offensive showing. The Flames (7-10, 2-2) have now won back-to-back Horizon League games, their previous victory coming on the road at IUPUI.

Redshirt sophomore Dikembe Dixson led four UIC double-digit scorer’s with 23 points while shooting a remarkable 10-of-12 from the field. Godwin Boahen (16 points), Jordan Blount (13 points) and Marcus Ottey (16 points) provided excellent support to Dixson.

UIC held Green Bay to 25 first-half points on a dismal 34.4% from the field. The Phoenix only made 1-of-14 three’s in the first half. UIC, on the other hand, scored 42 first-half points and shot 60% from the field. UIC’s great start propelled it to a victory in a game where the final score was bit deceiving, as the Flames thoroughly dominated Green Bay.

Sophomore guard Tarkus Ferguson, in his second game back after suffering a foot injury, went scoreless but had a significant impact thanks to his career-high 12 assists.

Key Sequence

UIC jumped out to a 15-2 lead to start the game, seizing control early thanks to strong defense. Green Bay shot 1-of-13 during the run and went scoreless for nearly six minutes. Green Bay’s horrendous start was too much to overcome, the closest they were able to get to UIC was a nine point deficit late in the game.

What It Means

After losing to Wright State and Northern Kentucky, who are both tied for first place in the Horizon league with undefeated records of 4-0, UIC wins consecutive conference games to get to .500. Milwaukee looms on Friday evening, but UIC is favored at home.

What’s Next

Milwaukee (9-9, 2-3) and first-year head coach Pat Baldwin make the short trip to Chicago after losing to IUPUI on Wednesday night on a buzzer-beater.

Notes

-Jordan Blount tied a career-high with 13 points while shooting 6-of-9 from the field. He also added seven rebounds in 24 minutes of play. Blount finished well near the rim and was assertive in looking for his shot.

-Dikembe Dixson and Marcus Ottey were both electric in the open-court on fastbreak opportunities. They took great shots within the flow of the offense, which was crucial in both of them combining to shoot 15-of-20 from the field and 5-of-6 from three. They also benefited from Ferguson and his crisp passes.

-Godwin Boahen also had a great game off the bench, shooting 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-4 from three. He really thrives when he can play both on and off the ball, and he is very effective in catch-and-shoot opportunities.