CHICAGO, Illinois - Oakland University men's basketball moved to 9-0 all-time at UIC, edging out a 68-66 victory over the Flames on Saturday, February 29, at the Credit Union 1 Arena. Sophomore guard Rashad Williams had a game-high 29 points, knocking down five triples. 

Williams finished 5-of-12 from beyond the arc. He had 18 points at the half. Williams has hit at least five three-pointers in six of the 13 games he has appeared in this season. In just 13 games, the Detroit native leads the team with 56 three-pointers. 

Senior forward Xavier Hill-Mais' double-double streak came to a close at four games, as he posted 15 points and seven boards. Hill-Mais made a crucial play on UIC's final attempt, stepping in front of the Flames' primary option and forcing the ball outside. 

Sophomore forward Daniel Oladapo and senior center Brad Brechting pulled down six rebounds a piece. Oladapo scored 12 points - his third double-figure effort in the past four games - as Brechting fouled out with 10 points with seven minutes remaining in the game. 

Tarkus Ferguson paced UIC with 21 points. Michael Diggins had a game-high 10 boards. 

Oakland was clinging to a two point lead, 68-66, with 4.4 seconds to play. Coming out of a timeout and inbounding the ball from under their own hoop, the Golden Grizzlies turned the ball over, giving UIC a look from the corner. Sophomore guard Tray Maddox Jr. made an athletic play to get a hand on the ball and send it away. The ball went out of bounds with .1 on the clock - not leaving enough time to catch and shoot by rule. 

With under 10 seconds to play, the Flames had the ball down two, but Hill-Mais stepped in front of the driving Ferguson to take the charge and give the ball back to Oakland. 

The game was tied five times in the second half. The Golden Grizzlies' lead hit a high of five before UIC brought it back to three, 64-61, with 3:09 to play.

After trailing by as many as seven in the second half, Oakland turned up the defensive pressure and forced a five-minute scoring drought for the Flames. Hill-Mais gave Oakland its first lead of the game, 45-43, with 14:06 to play. 

UIC led by as many as nine in the first half before a two-plus minute scoring drought let the Golden Grizzlies claw back into the game. Oakland knotted the game with 1:34 to play in the half, but the Flames closed with a pair of buckets to take a 37-34 advantage to the locker room.

Oakland awaits the conclusion of Youngstown State and Milwaukee to determine seeding for the Horizon League Tournament. Play opens on Tuesday, March 3, at campus sites. With a Penguin victory, the Golden Grizzlies would host Tuesday night. 

Notes

• Oakland moved to 9-0 all-time on the road against UIC. 
• The Golden Grizzlies and Flames split the season series. UIC defeated Oakland at the O'Rena on Jan. 23, 80-50. 
• The last time Oakland did not convert a shot from behind the arc was on Jan. 30, 1988 vs. Wayne State University. The Golden Grizzlies have hit a three-ball in 1,001-consecutive games, which is the fifth-longest streak in the NCAA.
• Rashad Williams, Tray Maddox Jr., Daniel Oladapo, Brad Brechting and Xavier Hill-Mais moved to 5-2 as the starting five - scoring 66 of Oakland's 68 points. 
• Rashad Williams has knocked down multiple three-pointers in every outing - setting a career high first with seven against Detroit on Jan. 31 and eight at NKU on Feb. 6. The Detroit native ranks second all-time in Cleveland State single-season history with 91 three-pointers a year ago. Williams has 56 in his 13 games this season. 
• Xavier Hill-Mais finished with 15 points - marking his 27th-straight outing with double-digit points and 30th this season. His double-double streak ends at four games as he finished with seven rebounds. 
• Oakland is 68-23 in the month of February since 2009. In eight of those seasons, the Golden Grizzlies have won at least six games in February. This year, the count wraps up at five.
• Oakland won its first-ever game on Leap Day. The Golden Grizzlies lost at Northern Michigan in 1991, 70-67.  
• With the win, Oakland avoids its first 20-loss season since 2013-14. Since the Golden Grizzlies' started playing basketball as the Pioneers in 1967-68, Oakland has had four 20 loss seasons - only one under head coach Greg Kampe.