Nov. 25, 2011
Pre-Game Notes 
► UIC will look to capture its first road win of the season, when the Flames travel to the Glass City to take on Toledo, Saturday beginning at 6 p.m. CST. UIC is coming off Wednesday night's 79-75 win over Evansville at the UIC Pavilion. Toledo is off to a 3-1 start after winning three-of-four games at the Texas-Pan American Tournament.
► Under second-year head coach Howard Moore, the UIC men's basketball team boasts a 6-5 record during the month of November. That stretch includes a pair of wins over Toledo last season.
► UIC owns a decisive 5-0 all-time series advantage against Toledo -- the Flames and Rockets have gone head-to-head in each of the past four seasons during non-conference play.
► With a win over the Rockets, UIC would pick up its first road win against the same team in back-to-back seasons for the first time since joining the NCAA Division I ranks.
► NEXT UP: UIC will open Horizon League play next Thursday (Dec. 1), when the Flames travel to Green Bay, Wis., to take on Green Bay at the Resch Center beginning at 7 p.m. CST. Green Bay is 2-3 on the season, and coming off a one-point (57-56) setback at Indiana State Monday night.
THE COACHES
UIC: Howard Moore(Wisconsin, '95) is in his second season as the head coach at UIC, where he has compiled a 9-26 overall record. He spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, helping the Badgers to five straight NCAA tournament berths. Moore, 38, also served assistant coaching stints at Loyola (2004-05), Ball State (2003-04) and Bradley (1999-2003).
Toledo: Tod Kowalczyk is in his second season as the head coach at Toledo. The former mentor at Horizon League member Green Bay, Kowalczyk produced an eight-year run that saw the Phoenix post a 136-112 (.548) win-loss mark including a pair of 22-win campaigns in his final two seasons.
ABOUT TOLEDO
» The University of Toledo is located in Toledo, Ohio, and has a total enrollment of 22,610. The Rockets are members of the Mid-American Conference West Division.
» Toledo is coming off a 4-28 record (1-15 MAC) and a sixth-place finish in the MAC-West. The Rockets return just three letterwinners from that team, and are welcoming 10 newcomers to the fold this season.
» Toledo defeated USC-Upstate, Texas Pan-American and Victory University in succession after suffering a season-opening loss to Texas State on Nov. 18.
» Sophomore guard Rian Pearson was named the Texas-Pan American Tip-Off Classic's Most Valuable Player after averaging 18 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals shooting 56.9 percent from the field in the tourney.
FLAMES DEFEAT EVANSVILLE, 79-75
Freshman Marc Brown and sophomore transfer Hayden Humescombined to score 42 points, as the UIC men's basketball team used an efficient offensive effort to defeat visiting Evansville, 79-75, at the UIC Pavilion Wednesday night. With the win, the Flames completed a 2-1 homestand.
Brown's game-high 24 points led a trio of Flames in double figures, with Humes (18) and senior center Darrin Williams(10) joining him.
The Flames recorded a resounding 40-28 advantage on the boards, and forced Evansville into 19 turnovers. UIC shot a season-best 49 percent (25-51) from the field, and out-scored Evansville in second chance points, 19-8.
UIC's point guard tandem of Greg Travis and Gary Taltonalso combined to score 18 points and dish out 10 assists.
POSTGAME NOTEBOOK: UIC's 79 points marked a season-high, as UIC accomplished that feat for the second-straight game ... The Flames also recorded team season-bests in field goals made (25), field goal percentage (.490), three-point field goals (9), three-point field goal percentage (.692), free throws made (20) and assists (15) ... Evansville's 75 points marked a season-high for a UIC opponent this season ... The Purple Aces forced UIC into a season-high 23 turnovers ... The Flames recorded a 40-28 rebounding advantage ... UIC finished the game with a 9-for-13 effort from three-point distance, including a 5-of-5 effort by freshman Marc Brown ... The Flames converted 14 field goals in the first half, a season-best mark -- much of the effort came on the heels of a 29-9 run by the Flames that erased a 10-point deficit, and eventually built a 10-point lead (35-25) late in the opening frame ... Brown converted eight field goals in the contest, and corralled a season-best six rebounds to go along with two steals in 37 minutes, the most for a UIC player this season ... Sophomore Hayden Humes enjoyed his best all-around game as a Flame, scoring his 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including three treys -- he was also 5-for-6 from the free throw line and pulled down six rebounds to go along with three assists ... Darrin Williams chipped in 10 points (4-6) and six rebounds, while Greg Travis and Gary Taltonwere both one-point short of scoring in double figures, with nine points apiece, on a combined 6-for-13 effort from the field.
LAST SEASON AGAINST TOLEDO
In UIC's road opener at Savage Arena last season (11/19/10), Robo Krepspoured in a game-high 20 points, and drilled five free throws in the final 2:35, to lead the Flames to a 57-51 decision over the Rockets. UIC never trailed in the contest, capturing its second-straight victory. UIC tallied a stingy defensive effort, holding the Rockets to a 39.5 percent effort from the field, forcing 17 turnovers and swiping eight steals. Toledo was also held without a field goal for the opening six-plus minutes in both halves.
Nine days later (11/28/10), Kreps drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key with just nine seconds remaining, lifting UIC to a thrilling 63-62 win over the Rockets at the UIC Pavilion. With Toledo clinging to a 62-60 lead in the final minute, the Flames forced a defensive stop with 16 seconds remaining, setting up the game-winning play in transition. Kreps led the fast break, pulled up from one foot outside the three-point arc near the top of the key, and hit the game-winning shot.
ATTACK ON THE MAC
Against Toledo, UIC will be playing its second Mid-American Conference West Division opponent on Saturday. The Flames opened the season with a 67-58 loss at Eastern Michigan. UIC will play four-of the five teams in the MAC-West during non-conference play, with both Northern Illinois (Dec. 10) and Central Michigan (Dec. 16) still on the schedule in the month of December.
WINNING COMBINATION
On Wednesday night against Evansville, head coach Howard Moore turned to the starting lineup that helped the Flames collect their first win (11/16/11 vs. Roosevelt), and it paid off. UIC is now 2-0 on the season when the starting lineup of freshmen Marc Brown and Greg Travis, seniors Paris Carter and Darrin Williams and junior guard Daniel Barnesapproaches half-court for the opening tip.
MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT
Freshman point guard Greg Travishas made a seamless transition from high school to college basketball early in November. In an average of 25.5 minutes per game, Travis is shooting 55.6 percent (15-27) from the field, the eighth-best mark in the Horizon League, while ranking fifth in The League in both assists per game (3.5) and assist/turnover ratio (1.6). The four-year starting point guard from Curie High School in Chicago is coming of a nine-point, seven-assist outing against Evansville Wednesday night.
PLENTY OF NEW FACES
The UIC men's basketball team will field the 16th youngest team in the NCAA Division I ranks during the 2011-12 season. Head coach Howard Moore and his staff have welcomed nine newcomers to the mix, including seven freshmen. Of UIC's six returning players, only Darrin Williams and Paris Cartersaw action in 28 or more games last season. For a chart of the youngest teams in NCAA Division I basketball this season, see page 4.
GORSKI, SNIDER, WIEGAND SIGN FOR 2012-13
UIC head men's basketball coach Howard Moore announced the official signings of 7-foot center Matt Gorski and 6-foot-8 power forward Jake Wiegand, of Fisburne Military Academy in Virginia, along with 6-foot-1 guard Gabriel Snider from Whitney Young High School in Chicago on Nov. 9. The trio will represent UIC's recruiting class for the 2012-13 campaign.
