Flames fall in league home opener

Terri Bender leads the pack against Youngstown State Saturday. Photo: TImothy Nguyen/UIC News

The women’s basketball team (11-4, 0-2 Horizon League) dropped its conference home opener Saturday with a 69-58 loss to Youngstown State (6-9, 2-0 Horizon League).

UIC heads to Detroit Thursday for a 6 p.m. contest at Calihan Hall.

Rachel Story, Ruvanna Campbell and Emily Kobel scored 11 points each for the Flames.

Youngstown State’s Heidi Schlegel scored a game-high 28 points and the Penguins shot 48 percent from the floor (21-of-43). Youngstown State was 7-of-16 from downtown and held the Flames to 32 percent shooting (22-of-68).

“They are dangerous from beyond the arc and we allowed too many open threes. They did not miss when left open,” head coach Regina Miller said.

“(Heidi) Schlegel out-hustled us and played a solid game. She was the best post player on the court.”

UIC committed 26 fouls and sent Youngstown State to the free throw line 28 times, where the Penguins made 20 attempts. YSU out-rebounded UIC 47-33, the second straight contest UIC has lost the battle on the boards.

The Penguins took an early 20-12 advantage and kept the lead the rest of the game.

UIC went on a 9-2 run to narrow the lead to 22-21 on Story’s layup with 7:21 left in the first half. The Penguins responded with a 7-0 run and UIC never got closer than five points the rest of the contest.

Campbell collected six rebounds, three assists and three steals. She has scored in double figures 14 times this season.

Story picked up four assists and two steals. Story has been in double-figures in 16 straight contests ,dating to last season.

Kobel was 3-of-7 from beyond the arc and is the eighth all-time in program history with 116 career three-pointers.

Sophomore Terri Bender continued her stellar defensive play with five steals. She has 32 steals over the last nine games (3.6 steals per contest). She also had 10 points, including eight after halftime.