CHICAGO -- UIC hits the road for the second time this season as it ventures over to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on the Drake Bulldogs in a nonconference clash at the Knapp Center on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 2 p.m.

The Flames (1-2) are coming off of their first win of the season, a 38-point triumph over the Roosevelt Lakers on Tuesday, Nov. 24. The Bulldogs (3-3) spent the first half of their Thanksgiving week playing at the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla. Drake finished third in the tournament with victories against Western Kentucky and Pepperdine.

Below are a few headlines as the Flames prepare to battle the Bulldogs in Iowa's capital city on Saturday at 2 p.m.:

SHARING THE ROCK
The Flames registered a season-high 24 assists against Roosevelt on Nov. 24 with 10 of the 12 players that got in the game picking up at least one. Lance Whitaker, who made his first start of the season, and Markese McGuire, who played 13 minutes off the bench, each notched five helpers against the Lakers. The 24 assists marked the most for a UIC team since Dec. 22, 2007 in a 97-58 victory over Howard (26).

WINDEX MEN
UIC leads the Horizon League and ranks ninth in the NCAA with 48.7 rebounds per game. Freshman Dikembe Dixson paces the squad and ranks seventh in the conference with 7.0 boards per game. On the offensive end the Flames average 17 rebounds per game, ranking seventh in the country in that category. Tai Odiase leads the team with 3.3 offensive rebounds per outing.

LINEUP SHUFFLE UIC head coach Steve McClain has used three different starting lineups through the first three games of his tenure. Eight different Flames have received a nod, while Tai Odiase, Dikembe Dixson and Jake Wiegand have opened all three games. Three of the eight starters used - Dixson, Dominique Matthews and Drew Hackett - are true freshmen.

COACH'S KID
Freshman Drew Hackett enjoyed a standout prep career at Munster H.S. in Munster, Ind., and he did it all while playing for his father, Mike Hackett. The duo helped the Mustangs win four conference championships and sectional titles in 2013 and 2015. Hackett made his first career start for UIC and added seven points, three rebounds and two assists vs. Roosevelt on Nov. 24.

CAREER-HIGH TAI
Sophomore Tai Odiase has established statistical career highs in each of UIC's first three games this season. In the opener against San Francisco (Nov. 13), the Glenwood, Ill., native rejected a career-high five shots. In UIC's second game at Western Illinois (Nov. 17), Odiase sank a career-high eight free throws against the Leathernecks. Finally, he poured in a career-best 23 points with 10 field goals in the victory over Roosevelt on Nov. 24.

MILESTONE WATCH
UIC, which begin to play NCAA Division I basketball in 1981, needs only two more wins to reach No. 500 in program history. The school's first team was fielded in 1947-48 and the program owns 807 all-time victories.

For more notes and information about Saturday's showdown, and the entire 2015-16 season, please click the Game Notes PDF above.

The Flames return home on Wednesday, Dec. 2 for a crosstown clash against the DePaul Blue Demons at 7 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 312-413-UIC1 or by visiting Ticketmaster today.