Rosemont, Ill. - There are no standouts on the UIC men's basketball team and that's just fine with Head Coach Jimmy Collins. Any player can come in and produce on any given night and Saturday afternoon was more of the same for Collins and the Flames.

Reserves Jon-Pierre Mitchom and Jabari Harris guided UIC to the 88-79 victory over Southern Illinois at the Allstate Arena. Mitchom scored a season-high 18 points while Harris blocked two shots and converted all four of his field goal attempts for a career-high 10 points.

"The bench exhibits some great things in practice," Collins said. "I am not afraid to put them into the game. I didn't care who scored because we played hard-nosed team basketball."

The Flames, who won their second straight and improved to 4-3, also received solid efforts from Joel Bullock (15 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds), Taurus Cook (12 points) and Jordan Kardos (10 points.).

"Southern (Illinois) is a very tough team to play," Collins said. "We had to dig down deep to pull out the victory."

Momentum shifted back and forth early on in the first half as neither team could establish a steady run. Mitchom, however hit a pair of three-pointers midway through the period to give the Flames a 34-27 lead that they'd never relinquish.

After settling on a 52-41 lead at the break, UIC upped its margin to 15 points two and a half minutes into the final stanza. Southern Illinois, however, chipped away at the lead and with the Flames' two big men, Joe Scott and Maurice Brown, on the bench in foul trouble were able to pound the ball inside.

The Salukis were able to reduce the Flames' lead to just two points, 74-72, but back-to-back lay-ups by Scott doused SIU's hopes of a comeback.

Joshua Cross and Toshay Harvey topped Southern Illinois with 15 points each while Jermaine Dearman added 14 points.