CHICAGO -- UIC has not played a road game since Dec. 14, and it has not left the city of Chicago for a contest since Dec. 10, but that all changes Thursday night when the Flames lace up to face the Cleveland State Vikings on Thursday, Jan. 12, at the Wolstein Center in Northeast Ohio.
UIC (8-8, 1-2 Horizon League) recently completed its longest homestand of the season, a six-game stretch that featured wins against Northern Arizona, Roosevelt and Detroit Mercy. The Flames claimed victory in those three tilts by an average of 20.7 points, while the three losses were extremely close. UIC fell to Loyola Chicago in overtime to start the homestand on Dec. 17 and it dropped a one-point decision to Oakland, a team tied for first place in the Horizon League, on Jan. 8.
The Flames received key contributions from several faces during the recently-completed stretch at the UIC Pavilion.
Tai Odiase had a double-double in the first two games, and on Dec. 26, he was named the Horizon League Player of the Week. The junior averaged a team-high 14 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks over the six games. Freshman
Godwin Boahen also excelled, averaging 11.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game over the last six affairs. On Dec. 22 against Roosevelt, the Toronto, Ontario, native registered the first triple-double in program history behind 13 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. For that effort Boahen was named Horizon League Freshman of the Week on Dec. 26.
UIC will be playing its first road game since claiming an 80-75 victory over crosstwon foe DePaul on Dec. 14, when it visits Cleveland State (5-11, 1-3 Horizon League) on Thursday. The squad has not played outside the city limits since visiting Grand Canyon on Dec. 10. Overall the Flames are 2-4 away from the UIC Pavilion this season with the first triumph coming over the Cal Poly Mustangs in DeKalb, Ill., on Nov. 25.
The Vikings return home for the first time since knocking off the Milwaukee Panthers in an Horizon League affair on New Year's Eve, 62-53. CSU has been paced offensively by sophomore and Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team honoree Rob Edwards. The native of Detroit ranks eight in the conference averaging 14.6 points per game. Teammate Demonte Flannigan has been the top rebounder this season with 5.8 per contest.
UIC and Cleveland State split two meetings last season with each team winning on its home floor. The two-point overtime victory in Chicago marked the first win in Horizon League play under the direction of then first-year head coach
Steve McClain.
Thursday's game will be streamed on ESPN3 and also available on the WatchESPN app. It is the second half of a doubleheader with tipoff slated for 6:45 p.m. CT.
