Flames shatter program win record

“We are not finished with this historic season and there is much more to accomplish in the upcoming weeks,” says head coach Regina Miller. Photo: Steve Woltmann

UIC’s win total eclipses the 2006-07 squad, who went 19-13 and made the program’s lone trip to the postseason.

UIC, in fourth-place in the Horizon League, takes on No. 5 Cleveland State (13-14, 8-6 Horizon League) at 1 p.m. Saturady at the Wolstein Center.

Senior Katie Hannemann led all scorers Thursday with 24 points.

UIC’s defensive pressure collected 13 steals and forced 20 YSU turnovers. The Flames scored 21 points off turnovers and 14 second-chance points on 15 offensive rebounds.

UIC out-rebounded YSU (39-27). The Flames limited Heidi Schlegel, the Penguins’ leading scorer, to 10 shots and two free throw attempts. She finished the contest with 17 points.

“The win was a total team effort and we are extremely proud to have made history at UIC,” head coach Regina Miller said.

“To defeat the top team in the conference on their court takes a tremendous defensive performance and our players stepped up to the challenge. We are not finished with this historic season and there is much more to accomplish in the upcoming weeks.”

The Penguins jumped out to a 23-12 advantage with 8:45 left in the first half, their largest lead of the contest. UIC went on an 8-0 run and tied the game at 31 on three free throws from Terri Bender with 2:12 on the clock.

Hannemann’s jumper with 1:34 before halftime gave UIC a 33-31 lead heading into the locker room. The Flames are 18-0 this season when leading at the break.

YSU scored the first two points of the second half but UIC responded with an 8-0 run to go ahead, 41-33. The Penguins narrowed the Flames’ lead to 44-43 on Jenna Hirsch’s three-pointer with 12:34 remaining. But that was the closest YSU could get as UIC scored 21 out of the next 29 points. UIC’s largest lead was 71-56 with 1:25 left on the clock.

Hannemann had 12 points in each half for her third 20-point effort over the last four games. She made 9-of-15 attempts from the floor. She has converted 67.9 percent of her field-goal attempts over the last four games.

Hannemann (977 career points) needs 23 more points to become the 19th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. She pulled down eight rebounds and picked up two steals.

Sophomore Ruvanna Campbell picked up her ninth consecutive double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. She has a league-high 19th double-double of the season.

Campbell collected three assists, three blocks and three steals. She had eight points in the second half.

Senior Rachel Story poured in 16 points for her 22nd double-digit scoring performance of the season. She passed the 900-career point mark in the second half and tied her career high with seven rebounds.

Sophomore Terri Bender scored 11 points for her 13th double-digit performance. Bender handed out six assists and collected a career-high seven steals. Her 82 steals are third all-time in a single season.