Flames score win on road against Southeast Missouri
Marc Brown scored 12 points Saturday.
Photo: Timothy Nguyen
The men’s basketball team (4-6) snapped Southeast Missouri State’s (7-3) five-game win streak with a 75-69 road victory Saturday night at the Show Me Center.
Senior Kelsey Barlow notched his first collegiate double-double with 21 points and career highs of 12 rebounds and eight assists. Barlow was named the Horizon League’s men’s basketball player of the week for Dec. 9 to 15.
The Flames started fast with a 16-0 run and held the nation’s 13th-ranked offense (87.4 points per game) to just 40 percent from the field, well below SEMO’s season average of 51.3 percent, ranked ninth in the NCAA.
Barlow was joined in double figures by senior Jordan Harks and junior Marc Brown with 12 points each as they combined to shoot 10-of-18 from the floor. Freshman Markese McGuire recorded a new career high with nine points in 20 minutes.
“I was really proud of our defensive intensity today,” UIC head coach Howard Moore said. “Our guys did a great job of forcing SEMO out of their normal rhythm and our post players did a great job of containing Tyler Stone. Barlow was our catalyst again tonight, but it truly was a team effort.”
UIC’s fast start was the result of six early turnovers by SEMO, which led to 10 Flames’ points over the first nine minutes. UIC’s defense held SEMO scoreless for the first six minutes and 10 seconds of the game. The Redhawks fought back and pulled to within three by the 1:33 mark, but a McGuire jumper gave the Flames a 38-33 halftime edge.
The Flames immediately went up nine points to open the second period off two quick buckets from Harks. By the 15:50 mark, UIC was back in front by double digits, 49-39. That’s when the Redhawks executed an 11-2 run with SEMO’s Jarekious Bradley netting 10 points in less than three minutes to pull within one. Bradley finished the night with a game-high 28 points, including 20 in the final stanza.
SEMO had its chances to take the lead on several occasions in the second half, but UIC’s defense produced stops and the Flames iced the game by hitting 7-of-9 from the foul line in the final 2:09. UIC went 13-of-16 from the free throw line on the night.
Freshman Pat Birt received his first collegiate start and gave UIC 21 quality minutes, posting seven points, five rebounds and zero turnovers. Senior Hayden Humes played well with eight points, six boards and two assists.
UIC head to UC Riverside for a 9 p.m. match Friday. They play at Colorado State at 8 p.m. Monday and face Illinois at the United Center at 1 p.m. Dec. 28 to round out the year.
