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Estero, FL - UIC (3-4) posted a wire-to-wire 94-76 victory over Wagner (4-4) in the third-place game of the inaugural Gulf Coast Showcase (GCS). The Seahawks will return to action when they host Lafayette on Tuesday, December 3 at 7:00 pm.

Sophomore Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC / David W. Burton) scored 17 points off the bench to lead four double-figure scorers for the Green & White while senior Kenneth Ortiz (Newark, NJ / Southern Mississippi) added 15 points with a team-high five rebounds. Classmate Latif Rivers (Elizabeth, NJ / Avon Old Farms (CT))  notched 14 points with junior Mario Moody (Jersey City, NJ / East Orange Campus) chipping in with 10 to round out the top Wagner offensive performers.

The Flames shot a blistering 50.9 percent (27-of-53) from the floor and 85.0 percent (34-of-40) from the line for the game while posting a 38-31 advantage on the glass en route to claiming the first-ever match-up between the programs.

UIC opened up the game with five-straight points en route to building a 12-4 lead at the first media timeout (15:54). The Seahawks would then answer with an 8-2 run to trim the deficit to 14-12 with 13:46 remaining in the opening stanza. The Flames quickly answered five-straight points and would open up a half-high 14-point lead before heading into the break with a 46-37 advantage.

After halftime, Wagner quickly trimmed the deficit to 52-45 with just under 17 minutes remaining, only to have UIC answer with an 11-2 run in opening up a 63-47 advantage with 13:46 to play. The Flame lead would rise to 31, before the Seahawks closed the game out with a 17-4 run to account for the final 94-76 ledger.

In defeat, the Seahawks shot a blistering 85.7 percent (24-of-28) from the line while turning the ball over just four times and converting on 40.3 percent (25-of-62) from the floor, including 14.3 percent (2-of-14) from long range.

Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@wagnerathletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department, @WagnerHoops for news and updates on the men's basketball program and Bashir Mason">@BashirMason for news on the second-year coach.

Photography by Dave Saffran