CHICAGO -- UIC will welcome the Dartmouth Big Green to the UIC Pavilion on Friday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. CT, to close out a three-game homestand in the Windy City. It will be the Flames' eighth game against an Ivy League opponent all-time, but the first against the Big Green.

UIC (3-6) has been breaking from competition this week while wrapping up a productive semester in the classroom with final exams. The last time the Flames took to the hardwood was on Saturday, Dec. 9, when they fell by 10 points to the visiting DePaul Blue Demons. The homestand opened on Wednesday, Dec. 6 with a convincing 28-point triumph over Division II foe Wisconsin-Parkside, 76-48.

Dartmouth (3-4) comes to Chicago following an even longer respite. The Big Green last played on Friday, Dec. 8, winning at Maine, 73-66. That victory snapped a two-game skid for Dartmouth.

BLOCK PARTY

• As a team, UIC leads the Horizon League and ranks fifth nationally with 7.1 blocks per game.
• Michigan State is the NCAA leader through games as of Dec. 12 with 8.3 blocks per game.
• Louisville (7.9), Minnesota (7.5) and Incarnate Word (7.1) also rank ahead of the Flames.
• On Dec. 6 against UW-Parkside, UIC matched a high in the Steve McClain era with 12 blocks for the third time.
• UIC also had 10 blocks vs. Delaware State (Nov. 16) and seven at No. 8 Kentucky (Nov. 26), at Troy (Nov. 29) and at Loyola (Dec. 2).

BEEN BETTER ON THE BOARDS

• UIC was outrebounded in six of its first seven games before reversing the trend last week.
• After being outgained on the glass by an average of 2.8 rebounds per game over the first seven, the Flames' average rebounding margin for the last two contests is +8.0.
• Three players - Tai Odiase, Clint Robinson and Jordan Blount  - are averaging at least 4.3 rebounds per game for UIC
• The Flames set a program record with 1,426 rebounds last season, ranking 18^th in the NCAA with 39.61 rebounds per game.

MAGNIFICENT MARGIN

• UIC's 40-point victory over Delaware State on Nov. 16 (95-55) marked the largest margin of victory in the Steve McClain era.
• Prior to the convincing takedown of the Hornets, the largest wins came by 38 points, twice, against NAIA foe Roosevelt.
• The Flames topped Roosevelt, 91-53, on Dec. 22, 2016 and 96-58 on Nov. 24, 2015.
• The 2015 victory over the Lakers was McClain's first as head coach at UIC.
• In the three wins this season, the Flames have topped opponents by no fewer than 10 points, and an average of 26 points per game.

INVOLVING EVERYONE

• In three of UIC's nine games this season every player has scored at least one point, including two of the last three contests.
• The Flames first accomplished the feat vs. Fort Wayne (Nov. 18) and again at Loyola (Dec. 2) and against UW-Parkside (Dec. 6).
• Head coach Steve McClain used nine players in all three occurrences this season.
• Sophomore Marcus Ottey led UIC in scoring, while coming off the bench, in two of those three contests (Fort Wayne and Loyola). He scored 12 points against the Mastodons and 16 against the Ramblers, including 14 in the second half of that game.

More news, games notes and information for both teams can be found in the Game Notes PDFs linked in the blue box above.