Jan. 26, 2012
Pre-Game Notes 
► UIC will look to capture its first Horizon League road win Friday, when the Flames travel to the Motor City to take on Detroit at Calihan Hall beginning at 6 p.m. CST. The Flames are coming off a 69-63 loss at Wright State Wednesday night, while the Titans posted a 67-52 win over visiting Loyola.
► The Flames will be looking to secure the regular season sweep over the Titans. UIC defeated visiting Detroit, 63-59, on Dec. 29 at the UIC Pavilion.
► UIC has held three-of its last four opponents under 41 percent shooting, including limiting Wright State to just a 39.5 percent effort from the field on Wednesday. The Flames held Detroit to a 39 percent output in this season's first meeting.
► UIC's last regular season Horizon League road win was on Feb. 27, 2009, against rival Loyola in the 2008-09 regular season finale. Since then, the Flames have dropped 23-consecutive regular season Horizon League road decisions.
► NEXT UP: The Flames will return home to take on Youngstown State next Thursday (2/2/12) at the Pavilion, beginning at 7 p.m. CST. The Penguins, who defeated visiting UIC, 71-50 on Jan. 7, are 11-7 on the season, including a 6-3 mark in Horizon League play.
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 on Jan. 14.
Moore is 1-2 versus Detroit. The Flames were swept in the regular season series last year, and as mentioned, defeated the Titans, 63-59, at the UIC Pavilion earlier this season.
Detroit: Ray McCallum is in his fourth season as the mentor at Detroit. He also served head coaching stints at Houston (2000-04) and Ball State (1993-2000). Ten of McCallum's 14 seasons as a head coach have resulted in at least 16 wins. He picked-up career win No. 200 last season against Bowling Green.
ABOUT DETROIT
» Detroit was picked to finish second in the preseason Horizon League poll -- the Titans collected 19 first-place votes.
» The Titans were the Horizon League's lone team to have three players named to the respective preseason All-League Teams. Ray McCallum was named preseason Player of the Year, while Eli Holman and Chase Simon were each recognized as preseason First-Team selections.
» Detroit has three players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Ray McCallum's 15.1 points per game. Chase Simon is scoring 14.5 points per contest, while Eli Holman has chipped in 11.3 points per contest.
» The Titans are 8-4 at home this season, including a 3-3 mark in Horizon League home games.
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
UIC boasts two-of the Horizon League's top-20 scorers, in junior point guard Gary Talton (11.0 ppg; 15th) and junior guard Daniel Barnes (10.9; 16th) ... Senior center Darrin Williams ranks seventh in the League in rebounding (6.4 rpg), third overall in field goal percentage (.565) and fourth in blocks (1.4 bpg) ... Talton leads the Horizon League in free throw percentage (.841), and is sixth in assists (3.4 apg) ... Barnes is averaging 2.3 three-point field goals per game, the second-best mark in the League, and ranks sixth in the Horizon League in steals (1.4 spg) ... Sophomore forward Hayden Humes ranks third in the League in three-point field goal percentage (.442) ... In Horizon League play, UIC is allowing its opponents to shoot just 42.5 percent from the field, the third-lowest mark in the conference ... Talton is scoring a Horizon League sixth-best 13.9 points per League game.
THE SERIES
Detroit leads the all-time series against UIC, 23-14. The series began in the 1994-95 campaign, with the Titans winning the first three meetings. Dating back to the 2006-07 season, UIC has won seven-of the last 11 contests. The Flames' last road win at Detroit was on Jan. 22, 2009.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
With a win over Detroit, UIC would...
» Equal its entire victory output from the 2010-11 campaign (7), and eclipse its Horizon League win total (2) from last season.
» Secure the regular season sweep over the Titans for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign.
» Record its first road victory of the season, and win its first regular season Horizon League road contest since Feb. 27, 2009.
» Improve to 4-13 all-time versus the Titans at Calihan Hall.
LAST TIME VERSUS DETROIT
CHICAGO - Junior point guard Gary Talton poured in a game-and career-high 21 points to lead three Flames in double figures, and the UIC men's basketball team recorded its first Horizon League win of the season, 63-59 over Detroit on Dec. 29 at the UIC Pavilion.
Talton's scoring output came on four three-point field goals to go along with five assists. He was joined in double figures by junior guard Daniel Barnes, who chipped in 14 points, and sophomore forward Hayden Humes, who chipped in 10. Detroit was led by Chase Simon, who scored 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
The Flames shot 47.7 percent from the field for the game, and held Detroit to just a 39 percent effort. There were a combined 11 ties and lead changes in the game.
DOWN TO THE WIRE...
UIC's men's basketball team has seen no shortage of nail biters this season, playing a total of nine games decided by five points or less, including five times during Horizon League play. UIC is 3-6 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 eight-of their 14 losses this season, and have come up short in two overtime decisions.
ONE OF THE LEAGUE'S FINEST
Junior point guard Gary Talton, in his first season in a Flames' uniform, has posted double-digit scoring outputs in eight-of UIC's 10 Horizon League games. Talton chipped in 14 points on four field goals, including a 6-for-6 effort from the free throw line Wednesday night at Wright State. Talton, a strong candidate for the Horizon League's Newcomer of the Year award, is averaging 13.3 points per game over the last four contests. He leads all of the League's newcomers in both scoring and assists.
SHARING THE WEALTH
UIC's men's basketball team has seen seven players lead the team in scoring this season, and six players pace the team in rebounding. On Wednesday night at Wright State, freshman wing Marc Brown scored a team-high 17 points, marking the fourth time he has led the Flames in scoring this season. Meanwhile, sophomore forward Hayden Humes grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, leading UIC on the boards for the eighth time this season.
ALL TOGETHER NOW
UIC's junior backcourt tandem of Gary Talton and Daniel Barnes, who both eclipsed the 200-point plateau for the season during last week's Horizon League homestand, continues to represent the Flames' most consistent scoring tandem. Talton (11.0 ppg) and Barnes (10.9) have combined for 24 double-digit scoring outputs, and are the respective 15th and 16th leading scorers in the Horizon League. The duo also ranks fifth (34.0 mpg) and seventh (33.9), respectively, in minutes played during League games.
GETTIN' DEFENSIVE
UIC has held eight-of its 20 opponents under 41 percent shooting this season, including three-of the last four, and four Horizon League foes (twice vs. Wright State).
GONE IN 60 SECONDS
UIC's success during the Howard Moore-era has been largely based on 60 points. When the Flames hold their opponent to less than 60 points, UIC owns an 8-3 record (.727) during Moore's two years at the helm, including a 5-1 mark this season.
