Jan. 20, 2012
Pre-Game Notes 
► UIC will look to finish its Horizon League homestand with a 2-1 record Saturday, when the Flames challenge Valparaiso at the UIC Pavilion beginning at 3 p.m. CST. The Flames are coming off a 57-49 loss versus two-time national runner-up Butler on Thursday night, while Valpo defeated host Loyola, 69-48 at Gentile Arena.
► The Flames have held each of their past five visiting opponents to under 41 percent shooting. That stretch includes wins over Western Illinois (Dec. 19), Detroit (Dec. 29) and Loyola (Jan. 14), and setbacks against Wright State (Dec. 31) and Butler (Jan. 19).
► UIC is 5-1 this season when holding its opponent under 60 points, with all of those wins taking place at the Pavilion.
► The Flames are 6-3 at the UIC Pavilion this season, and allowing their opponents to score just 59.3 points and 39.3 percent shooting through nine home games.
► NEXT UP: UIC will kick-off a two-game road trip next Wednesday (1/25/12), when the Flames travel to Dayton, Ohio, to take on Wright State. The Raiders outlasted the Flames in overtime, 74-70, at the Pavilion on New Year's Eve (12/31/11).
THE COACHES
UIC: Howard Moore (Wisconsin, `95) is in his second season as the head coach at UIC. He spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, helping the Badgers to five-straight NCAA tournament berths. The Chicago native also served assistant coaching stints at Loyola (2004-05), Ball State (2003-04) and Bradley (1999-2003). Moore picked up his 13th head coaching win against rival Loyola last Saturday.
Moore is 0-2 versus Valparaiso. The Flames dropped a heartbreaking 68-66 overtime decision at the Pavilion in last season's Horizon League opener (12/2/10), and fell short at the Athletics-Recreation Center in the Horizon League regular season finale (2/26/11), 79-65.
Valparaiso: Bryce Drew, a former Valpo letterwinner and the son of former Crusader head coach Homer Drew, is in his first season as Valparaiso's head coach. He spent the previous six seasons as a member of the Valpo coaching staff, including the last five years as associate head coach.
ABOUT VALPARAISO
» Valparaiso was picked to finish fifth in the in the preseason Horizon League poll, conducted by the League's head coaches, media panel and sports information directors.
» The Crusaders have victories in five-of their last six games, all league contests.
» Valparaiso leads the Horizon League, and ranks in the top-30 nationally in field goal percentage (.484). The Crusaders also lead the League in rebounding margin (+3.3).
» Kevin Van Wijk (15.8 ppg) and preseason All-Horizon League selection Ryan Broekhoff (15.1) represent the Crusaders' top-two scorers, and the respective first and third leading scorers in the Horizon League. Broekhoff also leads the League in rebounding, averaging 9.1 caroms per game.
» In conference play, Valparaiso is pacing the Horizon League in scoring offense (70.9 ppg).
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
UIC boasts two-of the Horizon League's top-20 scorers, in junior guard Daniel Barnes (11.3 ppg; t-13th) and junior point guard Gary Talton (10.8; 16th) ... Senior center Darrin Williams ranks sixth in the League in rebounding (6.7 rpg), third overall in field goal percentage (.558) and fourth in blocks (1.4 bpg) ... Talton leads the Horizon League in free throw percentage (.815), and is sixth in assists (3.5 apg) ... Barnes is averaging 2.4 three-point field goals per game, the second-best mark in the League, and ranks seventh in the Horizon League in steals (1.3 spg) ... From the power forward position, sophomore forward Hayden Humes ranks third in the League in three-point field goal percentage (.432) ... The Flames are shooting just 64.8 percent from the free throw line, but have upped that average to 70.5 percent in Horizon League play ... Talton is scoring a Horizon League eighth-best 14.1 points per conference game.
THE SERIES
UIC owns a decisive 29-13 all-time series lead over Valparaiso, with the first meeting between the Flames and Crusaders taking place in the 1979-80 season. Valpo has captured four-straight wins in the series, including a 68-66 overtime win at the UIC Pavilion last season (12/2/10). Between the 1983-84 and 1995-96 campaigns, UIC compiled a 22-4 record against the Crusaders.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
With a win over Valparaiso, UIC would...
» Equal its entire victory output from the 2010-11 campaign (7), and eclipse its Horizon League win total (2) from last season.
» Improve to 7-3 at the UIC Pavilion this season, and pick up its third Horizon League home win.
» Snap a four-game losing streak versus Valpo, and defeat the Crusaders for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign.
ATTACKING THE GLASS
Rebounding has become a major staple of head coach Howard Moore's offensive and defensive philosophies during his tenure at UIC. Last season, the Flames paced the Horizon League in offensive rebounding, and heading into Saturday's game, UIC ranks third in the League in rebounding margin (+2.5), and is second in offensive rebounds (13.2 rpg). Overall, the Flames have out-rebounded their opponent 31 times in the past 49 games under Moore, including on 11 occasions this season.
SHOOTING FROM DISTANCE
UIC is averaging 6.3 made three-point field goals per game this season, the fourth-best mark in the Horizon League. The Flames have converted at least five threes in 13 games, and their top-two three-point shooting performances (9 at Green Bay, 10 vs. Detroit) have taken place during Horizon League play. Junior guard Daniel Barnes ranks second in the League in three-point field goals made per game (2.4), while sophomore forward Hayden Humes is shooting a League third-best 43.2 percent from three-point range. In the Howard Moore era, the Flames have drilled 257 threes, an average of 5.2 triples per game.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
Freshman wing Marc Brown has settled in nicely to the sights and sounds of the UIC Pavilion. All four of Brown's double-digit scoring outputs have taken place at the Pavilion, including two in the past three home games (12 points vs. Wright State, 11 vs. Butler). Brown, who has started 15 games this season, also poured in a season-high 24 points in the Flames' 79-75 win over Evansville on Nov. 23, and scored 15 points versus Northern Illinois (12/10/11).
ALL TOGETHER NOW
UIC's junior guard tandem of Daniel Barnes and Gary Talton continues to represent the Flames' most reliable scoring threats. Barnes eclipsed the 200-point plateau for the season Thursday night against Butler, chipping in 10 points, while Talton scored a team-high 11 points -- he enters Saturday's contest with 194 points this season. Barnes and Talton, who have each recorded 11 double-digit scoring outputs, are the respective 13th and 16th leading scorers in the Horizon League.
TEXAS TWO-STEP
Junior point guard Gary Talton, along with freshman wing Marc Brown, both hail from Dallas, and are regular stalemates in UIC's starting lineup in their first seasons in a Flames uniform. The tandem has combined to start 30 games this season, and represents UIC's second and fifth leading scorers, respectively.
Talton and Brown aren't the only two players in the Flames' starting lineup that has ventured to UIC from outside the state of Illinois: Sophomore forward Hayden Humes is a native of Valparaiso, Ind., while senior center Darrin Williams hails from Louisville, Ky.
HOME SWEET HOME
As mentioned, UIC is 6-3 at the UIC Pavilion this season -- the Flames are allowing their opponents to score just 59.3 points and 39.2 percent shooting in home games. The Flames have out-rebounded their visiting opponents by an average of 2.8 boards per game this season.
DOWN TO THE WIRE...
UIC's men's basketball team has seen no shortage of nail biters this season, playing a total of eight games decided by five points or less. UIC is 3-5 in those contests, and had a chance to either tie or win the game with a last-second shot in road games at Green Bay (12/1/11), Milwaukee (12/3/11) and Central Michigan (12/16/11). Additionally, the Flames have held second-half leads in seven-of their 12 losses this season, and have come up short in two overtime decisions.
