CHICAGO -- Two schools separated by only about four miles, UIC and DePaul, will meet on the hardwood in a intracity matchup Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. inside the UIC Pavilion.

The Flames (3-5) squashed a four-game slide last time out with a 76-48 victory over Wisconsin-Parkside on Wednesday night. UIC shot 51.9 percent (27-of-52) from the floor, but also played stifling defense by holding the Rangers to 26.1 percent (18-of-69) and 48 points, the lowest total for any opposing team in 74 games under head coach Steve McClain. Dikembe Dixson led the group offensively with a game-high 17 points, while Tai Odiase chipped in with 11 points and a season-high seven blocks. A pair of sophomore guards - Godwin Bohen and Marcus Ottey - each pulled down nine rebounds in the triumph.

The Blue Demons (4-4) come to the Pavilion on a three-game winning streak that includes a victory over another Horizon League foe, Youngstown State, on Dec. 2. DePaul features four players who are scoring in double figures, led by Max Strus, a transfer from Lewis University. Strus is averaging 14.4 points per game (ppg), while Eli Cain, who scored 27 points in a loss against UIC last season, is averaging 13.1 ppg. Inside, the Blue Demons are led by graduate transfer Marin Maric. The former NIU center is averaging 12.5 ppg and shooting nearly 51 percent from the floor.

Last season's meeting between the Flames and Blue Demons was an instant classic that featured 14 tie scores and 15 lead changes. UIC trailed by eight points at the half after losing top scorer Dixson to a torn ACL just six minutes into the contest. The Flames were down by nine with just over nine minutes to go, but stormed back to take the lead on a 3-pointer from the corner with 56 seconds to play. UIC held on en route to an 80-75 win at McGrath-Phillips Arena in Lincoln Park, the team's second-ever win over DePaul.

NOT IN TAI'S HOUSE

• Tai Odiase owns 273 career blocks, tied for most in program history, after getting a season-high seven vs. UW-Parkside.
• Odiase is tied with Scott VanderMeer, who played at UIC from 2006-09.
• The Glenwood, Ill., native ranks second among active NCAA players in total career blocks (273) and third in blocks per game (2.68).
• The senior's season-high seven blocks against Wisconson-Parkside Wednesday night marked the seventh time in 61 games that he has swatted at least as many shots in a single game (11.5%).
• He currently ranks 15^th in NCAA with 3.0 blocks per game this season and is averaging 4.0 blocks per game over UIC's last four contests.

BLOCK PARTY

• As a team, UIC leads the Horizon League and ranks fourth nationally with 7.3 blocks per game.
• Louisville is the NCAA leader through games as of Dec. 6 with 8.4 blocks per game. Michigan State (7.9) and Minnesota (7.8) also rank ahead of the Flames.
• On Wednesday 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).

FREE AND EASY

• Clint Robinson has made 22 consecutive free throws over UIC's last six games.
• This is the longest streak since Jay Harris sank 29 in a row over a six-game span during the 2014-15 season.
• Josh Mayo owns UIC's longest run at 38 straight (4 games in 2006-07, 3 in 2007-08).
• Robinson currently ranks third in the Horizon League and 65th in the NCAA from the free throw line at a clip of 88.9 percent (24-of-27).

BENCH BOOST

• UIC's leading scorer has come off the bench in five of team's eight games, including four of the last five contests.
• The team's second-leading scorer, Marcus Ottey, averages 10.9 points per game and has come off the bench in seven of eight games.
• UIC's bench is averaging 28.0 points per game through eight contests with a margin of +5.1 against the opposition's reserves.

BEACH PARTY



More notes, statistics and information for Saturday's game can be found in the UIC Game Notes (PDF) linked in the blue box above.