VIDEO: Highlights

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State dropped just its second game at home this season, falling 59-54, to UIC on Thursday night in the Wolstein Center.

The Vikings fell to 5-12 this season (1-4 HL), while UIC improved to 9-8 overall and 3-2 in the Horizon League.

STAT LEADERS

• Rob Edwards led all scorers with 13 points, adding six rebounds and four assists.
• Jamarcus Hairston scored 10 points off the bench, hitting 4-of-9 from the field, including a pair of three-pointers. He also grabbed four rebounds.
• Bobby Word tallied 10 points and five rebounds, while Kenny Carpenter finished with seven points.
• Edwards and Hairston both had two steals

HOW IT HAPPENED

• UIC took its largest lead of the first half (20-14) with three minutes to play in the half.
• But the Vikings scored the final nine points, highlighted by a Carpenter three-pointer and Jamarcus Hairston dunk in transition, to take a 23-20 lead at the break.
• The Vikings held the Flames without a field goal over the final 6:16 of the half, limiting UIC to just two free throws.
• CSU increased its defensive pressure over the final two minutes, forcing three UIC turnovers which led to a pair of quick baskets.
• The Vikings opened up a nine point lead (39-30) on a three-pointer from Word with just under 14 minutes to play, but seven straight points from the Flames brought UIC within two (39-37) at the 11:39 mark.
• A three-pointer from UIC's Godwin Boahen tied the game for the first time all night (44-44) with 7:39 to play and started a 13-2 run for UIC which gave the Flames a 54-46 lead with 2:29 left.
• A three-pointer by Jibri Blount and free throw from Anthony Wright pulled CSU within three at 54-51, but Michael Kolawole connected on a floater off the glass to push the UIC lead back to five points (56-51) with just over one minute on the clock.
• CSU pulled within four points (58-54) on Hariston's three-pointer with 26 seconds left and forced a UIC turnover on the inbounds, but could not convert and the Flames hit a free throw for the final margin.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• CSU received 25 points from its bench, while UIC's bench scored 22.
• The Flames held a 39-30 advantage on the boards and had 11 second chance points on nine offensive rebounds.
• CSU made 11 steals, forcing 20 UIC turnovers. However, the Vikings had 19 turnovers which UIC turned into 22 points.
• The Vikings shot .392 (20-51) from the field, including 7-of-20 from three-point.

UP NEXT

• CSU closes its brief homestand with a 3:30 pm contest against Valparaiso on Saturday (Jan. 14) at the Wolsetin Center.
• It will be a doubleheader with the CSU women hosting UIC at 1:00 pm.
• The Vikings then conclude a stretch of three games in five days with a 7:00 pm game at Oakland on Monday (Jan. 16).