Youngstown -- UIC placed three players in double figures and went on a 16-4 run in the first half to defeat Youngstown State 71-63 on Thursday evening at the Beeghly Center.

LaShonda Grant scored 15 points and Kelly True aded 11 off the bench for the Flames, who improved to 12-9 and 6-3 in the Horizon League.

Velissa Vaughn led YSU (5-14, 3-6) with 15 points and Nikita LaFleur chipped in with 11 for 26 of YSU's 33 bench points. Vaughn finished 5-of-7 from the field, and Monique Godfrey hit 3-of-4 from behind the arc.

The Penguins trailed only once in the first nine minutes and took their largest lead when Anjalia Lyons' layup with 13:59 remaining made the score 14-6.

UIC answered by scoring the next 10 points as part of a 16-4 run that put the Flames up 22-18 at the 8:54 mark.

The Flames never led by more than five the rest of the half, and Lauren Branson's jumper with 51 seconds made the score 33-30 at halftime.

UIC steadily extended its lead to 10 on a Nikki Grobbecker jumper at the 14:14 mark, and the Penguins were unable to get closer than eight the rest of the way.

The Penguins outshot UIC 47.8 percent to 37.5 percent in the first half and held a narrow 45.1 percent to 45 percent edge for the game.

YSU will play host to Loyola on Saturday at 5:15 p.m.