CHICAGO, Ill. – William & Mary junior Justin Pierce enjoyed a strong performance in his homecoming to the Windy City, and classmate Matt Milon poured in a career high, but in the end, UIC and its trio of scoring guard made the key plays down the stretch in a 100-95 overtime victory on Thursday night.
 
Pierce, who played in high school at nearby Glenbard West in Glen Ellyn, Ill., scored 25 points and recorded his second double-double in the first three games of the season with 11 rebounds. He just missed a triple-double with a game-high seven assists. Milon notched a career-high 30 points, including a 19 in the opening 20 minutes. The Oviedo, Fla., native knocked down eight 3-pointers, which ranked third in W&M history, as the Tribe canned 15 as a team.
 
After the Tribe (1-2) led by seven at the break, the Flames (1-3) started the second-half strong, opening up as much as a seven-point lead, 61-54, just seven minutes into the frame. W&M answered with a 12-0 run to retake the lead, but the teams traded blows down the stretch, before heading to overtime following a Godwin Boahen jumper with 16 seconds remaining.
 
The back-and-froth continued in overtime, but Tarkus Ferguson (5), Marcus Ottey (5) and Boehan (6) combined for 16 of UIC's 18 overtime points. Ferguson scored the Flames' first five points in extra time, and Ottey's 3-pointer at the 2:28 mark gave the home team the lead for good. It total, UIC hit all four of its field goal attempts, including both 3-pointers, and was 8-of-10 from the free throw line.
 
Ferguson led UIC, who shot 56.3 percent for the game, including 57.1 percent in the second half, with 25 points, while Boehan added 24.
 
How It Happened
- Milon scored eight of W&M's first 12 points and his second 3-pointer of the stretch put the Tribe on top 12-6 at the 16:18 mark.
- UIC pulled even at 14 on back-to-back 3-pointers from Ferguson and Travell Washington with 13:55 left in the opening half.
- The Flames took their first lead of the contest on a driving lay-up Ottey at the 10:45 mark.
- The Tribe moved back in front on a Chase Audige 3-pointer on the ensuing possession. Freshman Thornton Scott canned back-to-back triples to push the margin to five, 28-23, with 7:54 remaining in the half.
- Milon, who scored 19 first-half points, notched five in a row to stretch the Tribe cushion to its largest of the game at nine. His 3-pointer at the 3:04 mark extended the Green and Gold lead to 42-33.
- W&M led 45-38 at the half, but UIC started the second 20 minutes on a 23-9 run to open up its largest lead of the contest at 61-54. The Flames scored seven-straight to move in front 54-51 following back-to-back Ferguson lay-ups forcing a W&M timeout with 15:38 remaining.
- The Green and Gold answered with a 12-0 run to move back in front 66-61. Pierce and Milon book-ended the run with 3-pointers. Piece's second triple of the second-half pushed the Tribe's lead to five at the 10:32 mark.
- Ferguson responded with back-to-back 3-pointers in a 47-second stretch to give the Flames a 67-66 lead with 9:12 remaining.
- Pierce knocked down a 3-pointer and was fouled in front of the Tribe bench with just under seven minutes left. His four-point play was part of a 6-0 W&M run as he found sophomore Luke Loewe for a lay-up to give W&M a 72-69 lead with 6:09 remaining.
- Over the final 5:07 of regulation, the lead change hands six times. The Tribe hit eight of its final nine free throws during the stretch.
- Freshman L.J. Owens, who scored all 12 of his points in the final 4:27 of regulation and overtime, converted an old-fashion 3-point play to give W&M and 82-79 lead with 1:12 remaining.
- UIC scored the final three points of regulation as Boahen's free throw line jumper with 16 seconds remaining tied the game at 82.
- Pierce drove for the game-winning lay-up in the closing seconds, but his attempt was blocked by Michael Diggins to end regulation.
- Ferguson, Boehan and Ottey combined for 16 of UIC's 18 overtime points. Ferguson scored the first five for UIC, but W&M answered each time with a Pierce jumper and a Milon 3-pointer.
- The Flames took the lead for good on an Ottey triple at the 2:28 mark. UIC's lead jumped to five, 94-89, after four-straight Boehan points, including a pair of free throws with 1:51 left.
- Milon knocked down his eighth 3-pointer with 34 second remaining to pull W&M within two, 94-92. After Ottey made 1-of-2 from the free throw line, the Tribe had a chance to tie on the ensuing possession, but Milon's attempt was off the mark from the right wing with 21 seconds left.
 
Inside the Numbers
- The Flames shot 57.1 percent (16-of-28) in the second half and hit all four of their attempts in overtime to finish at 56.3 percent (36-of-64) for the game.
- W&M knocked down a season-high 15 3-pointers, hitting 44.1 percent (15-of-34) from long range.  
- UIC finished with 22 fast-break points and all 22 came in the second half and overtime.
- The Flames forced the Tribe into 10 second-half turnovers and converted those miscues into 17 points.
- The Green and Gold held a 35-34 advantage on the glass and outscored the Flames, 13-7, in second-chance points.
- W&M dished out 19 assists on its 33 made field goals.
 
Notes
Junior Matt Milon scored a career-high 30 points … It marked the 95th 30-point game in W&M history … Milon's eight 3-pointers rank third in W&M history … It marked the sixth game of eight or more 3-pointers in W&M history and the fourth under head coach Tony Shaver … Junior Justin Pierce registered his 10th career 20-point game, finishing with 25 … Pierce dished out a career-high seven assists and picked up his ninth career double-double with 11 rebounds … Junior Nathan Knight was limited to just 14 minutes and eventually fouled out, finishing with eight points … Freshman Quinn Blair scored his first career points, knocking down 3-of-4 at the free throw line to finish with three points … He added a career-high seven rebounds in 19 minutes of action … Freshman Mehkel Harvey pulled down a career-high seven rebounds in 18 minutes and finished with two assists as well … Freshman Thornton Scott knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in scoring a career-high six points and added a career-best two steals … Freshman L.J. Owens made his first collegiate start and scored all 12 of his points over the final 4:27 of regulation and in overtime.
 
Up Next
- The Tribe continues its Midwest swing at ACC foe Notre Dame as part of the Gotham Classic on Saturday, Nov. 17. The contest is slated for a noon start time in South Bend.
- The game will be available on ACC Network Extra and the WatchESPN app.
- Tribe fans can catch the men's basketball action over the Tribe Radio Network with Andrew Phillips and Kris Sears on the call. The Tide 92.3 FM and 107.9 Bach FM are the flagship stations of the Tribe Radio Network and the audio is also available over the Web at TribeAthletics.com.