CHICAGO -- UIC will finish the nonconference portion of its schedule, and a busy stretch of four games in nine days, on Thursday, Dec. 22, when the Roosevelt Lakers invade the UIC Pavilion at 7 p.m. CT.
The Flames (6-6) will welcome Roosevelt (4-9, 2-5 CCAC) to the Near West Side from it's campus in the Loop for the eight time in program history and the sixth time since the 2010-11 campaign. It is the third contest in the a six-game homestand, the longest of the season for UIC.
Head coach
Steve McClain's squad is coming off a 10-point victory against Northern Arizona on Tuesday night. The Flames accumulated 21 assists to match a season high, while registering a helper on 75 percent (21-of-28) of their made field goals. Four true freshmen combined to tally 17 of the 21 assists, led by
Tarkus Ferguson's career-high nine. Classmate
Godwin Boahen dropped five dimes with only one turnover as he made his fourth consecutive start for UIC. The Flames are averaging 17.7 assists over the last three contests and they are registering an assist on 66.3 percent of their made field goals during that span. UIC averaged 12.6 assists per tilt over its first nine games, helping out on 47.5 percent of the baskets from the field.
Over the same three-game span, junior
Tai Odiase has been a force at both ends of the floor. The Glenwood, Ill., native is averaging 15.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game since UIC's road win at DePaul on Dec. 14. Odiase has recorded back-to-back double-doubles after following a 10-point, 10-rebound performance against Loyola Chicago (Dec.17) with a career-high 24 points and a season-best 11 rebounds in Tuesday's triumph over NAU.
After taking on the Lakers Thursday, the Flames will get a chance to rest and recharge over the holidays before diving into Horizon League play on Friday, Dec. 30, when Valparaiso visits the UIC Pavilion for a nationally-televised affair on ESPNU.
Thursday's game between UIC and Roosevelt will be the second half of a split doubleheader at the corner of Racine and Harrison. Head coach
Regina Miller and the UIC women's basketball team will entertain Bradley in their final nonconference game of the slate in a matinee at 1 p.m.
More notes, statistics and information about Thursday's men's basketball game can be found in the UIC Game Notes PDF linked above.
