Lowery scores 20 points and UIC wins 96-47 against Saint Francis of Illinois

CHICAGO (AP) — Mekhi Lowery’s 20 points helped UIC defeat Saint Francis of Illinois 96-47 on Monday in the season opener for both teams.Lowery added seven rebounds and four steals for the Flames. Rashund Washington Jr. scored 15 points while going 3 of 5 and 9 of 12 from the free-throw line. Jayce Nathaniel went 5 of 7 from the field to finish with 13 points, while adding 10 rebounds.Bryce Tillery finished with 12 points and two steals for the Fighting Saints. Saint Francis also got 12 points from Nick Niego. Tavariyuan Williams finished with nine points and two blocks.UIC took the lead for good with 19:33 left in the first half. The score was 51-31 at halftime, with Lowery racking up 16 points. UIC extended its lead to 96-44 during the second half, fueled by a 19-2 scoring run. Ahmad Henderson II scored a team-high 10 points in the second half as their team closed out the win.Up nextUp next for UIC is a Friday matchup with Robert Morris at home.___The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.