Ahale makes go-ahead 3, UIC beats Horizon League leader NKU

Feb 3, 2019, 11:29 pm

CHICAGO -- Tarkus Ferguson had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and Jamie Ahale made his only basket of the game with 2.5 seconds left to help Illinois-Chicago beat Horizon League leader Northern Kentucky 69-67 on Sunday.

Michael Diggins' fast-break dunk, off a nice baseline drive and pass from Godwin Boahen, put UIC ahead 60-54 with just under four minutes to play. But NKU battled back and Drew McDonald scored on a quick inbounds play for a 67-66 lead with 59.7 seconds left.

After a timeout at 12.6, Boahen drove to the basket but got his shot blocked out of bounds. UIC inbounded it again and Ahale got it in the corner, pump-faked to get a defender in the air and sank a wide-open 3-pointer. Tyler Sharpe's long 3-pointer just before the buzzer got wedged between the rim and the backboard.

Diggins came off the bench and scored 16 points and Boahen finished with 12 for UIC (12-12, 6-5 Horizon League). Ferguson grabbed an offensive rebound, his seventh board of the game, to reach the 500-rebound career mark.

Sharpe led Northern Kentucky (18-6, 8-3) with 20 points and four 3-pointers, and McDonald had 18 points and nine rebounds.