UIC’s big run dooms Youngstown State women

Vindicator staff report

CHICAGO — UIC scored 14 straight points in just over four minutes early in the first half, and the Youngstown State women’s basketball team wasn’t able to recover in a 78-59 loss on Thursday at the UIC Pavilion.

The Flames turned a 5-4 lead into a 19-4 advantage from the 16:43 mark until there was 12:23 remaining. UIC also scored 13 straight points early in the second half to balloon its lead to 29.

YSU freshman Brandi Brown notched her fifth double-double, finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Brown had 10 of her points in the second half after being held to four in the first half.

Kenya Middlebrooks added a career-high 16 points, and Rachael Manuel had a career-best 11 rebounds for the Penguins (0-14, 0-3 Horizon League).

Jessie Miller scored 16 points and had six assists to lead the Flames (6-8, 3-0).

The Penguins closed out the game by scoring 14 straight points, eight of which came from Brown. YSU made a season-high 10 3-pointers on 22 attempts.

UIC led by as many as 22 in the first half, but, after the run, YSU kept up and made six of its final 16 shots. YSU started 2-for-13 from the field and finished the first period 8-for-30 (26.7 percent). UIC hit 18 of its 31 attempts for 58.1 percent. The Flames also held a 23-13 edge on the glass, and they outscored YSU 20-0 in the paint.

UIC scored the first five points of the game in the first 50 seconds, but YSU hit field goals on its next two trips to get within 5-4 with 17:36 left. The Penguins were held scoreless until two Brown free throws at the 12:10 mark, and their next field goal came on a Middlebrooks bucket with 9:54 remaining. They missed 10 straight shots from the field during that stretch.

Youngstown State’s next game will be on the North side of Chicago against Loyola on Saturday at 3 p.m. Eastern.