CHICAGO -- UIC returns home following a three-game road trip to begin a three-game homestand on Wednesday, Dec. 6, when the Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers visit the UIC Pavilion at 7 p.m. CT. It will be only the third meeting between the two programs and the second since the Flames began competing at the Division I level during the 1981-82 season.

The Flames (2-5) are seeking to get back into the win column for the first time since blasting Delaware State on Nov. 16, 95-55, to open the Adolph Rupp Classic. UIC has dropped four consecutive contests since then with the last three coming on the road at No. 8 Kentucky, Troy and Loyola Chicago.

Wednesday's game does not count toward the overall record of Wisconsin-Parkside (1-6), which competes at the NCAA Division II level. The Rangers picked up their first victory of the season last time out by thumping Trinity International, 106-71. Two players, Adam Bonk and Jameel Moore, average a team-best 12.7 points per game with Moore also leading the squad with 2.9 assists per game. As a team, Parkside averages 66.6 points per game with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.24.

BLOCK PARTY

• Tai Odiase owns 266 career blocks, second most in program history, after getting a season-high five at Loyola on Saturday.
• Scott VanderMeer, who played from 2006-09, is UIC's all-time leader with 273 blocks.
• Former Youngstown State standout Damian Eargle is the Horizon League's all-time leader with 309 blocks.
• Odiase has blocked at least one shot in 20 of UIC's last 21 games dating back to Feb. 2, 2017 at Green Bay.
• He owns 17 blocks in seven games this season and has averaged 100.5 blocks per season since 2015-16.

SOPHOMORE STANDOUTS

• In seven games, UIC has been led in the scoring department by four different sophomores.
• Godwin Boahen netted a team-high 15 points against North Carolina Central and 17 points at Kentucky.
• Dominique Matthews had 19 points against Delaware State and 14 points at Troy.
• Marcus Ottey scored 12 against Fort Wayne and added 16 Saturday at Loyola.
• Dikembe Dixson poured in 23 points against Saint Joseph's, and averages a team-high 12.4 points per game.
• Six sophomores account for 75.5 percent of the team's scoring this season with 372 out of 493 total points.

UNDERCLASS ACHIEVERS

• UIC is one of six NCAA programs to begin the season with three or fewer upperclassmen.
• The five other teams are: Kentucky (2), North Florida (2), Chattanooga (3), The Citadel (3) and George Mason (3).
• The Flames currently carry two seniors in Tai Odiase and Clint Robinson, and one junior in Naradain James.
• Head coach Steve McClain's roster of 12 features six sophomores and three freshmen.
• The underclassmen have played 77.9 percent (1,100-of-1,425) of the team's possible minutes this season.

ROTATION ROULETTE

• UIC has used four different starting lineup combinations in its seven regular season games this season.
• The Flames are tied for fourth nationally in different lineups used. UT Martin currently leads the country with seven unique starting lineups in eight games.
• Tai Odiase, Jordan Blount, Dikembe Dixson have started all seven games to date for UIC.
• Tarkus Ferguson started the first six games before missing Saturday's contest at Loyola with an injury.
• Dixson (47) and Ferguson (42) have each started every game of their respective careers.
• Odiase has started all 73 games since Steve McClain became the program's head coach in 2015-16.

More game notes, statistics and information is available in the UIC Game Notes PDF linked in the blue box above.