CLEVELAND -- UIC will finish its two-game swing through northeast Ohio on Saturday, Jan. 20, when the Flames collide with the Cleveland State Vikings at the Wolstein Center at 2:30 p.m. CT.

UIC (9-11, 4-3 Horizon League) began the road trip on Thursday night with a 92-78 victory at Youngstown State. The Flames accumulated a season-high 21 assists and sank a season-high 14 3-pointers in their second consecutive triumph at the Beeghly Center. The visitors also valued their possessions and committed a season-low nine turnovers against the Penguins. Sophomore Marcus Ottey erupted for a career-high 29 points while shooting 80 percent (12-of-15) from the field.

There was another individual record set Thursday night. UIC senior Tai Odiase swatted a Tyree Robinson shot off a spin move with 13:02 to go in the game for his fifth block of the game. That rejection was the 310^th in the career of the Glenwood, Ill., native, moving him into first place atop the Horizon League's all-time list. Fittingly, Odiase passed former YSU standout Damian Eargle to capture the record.

Cleveland State picked up its second win in League play at home on Thursday night, topping IUPUI, 70-67. Kenny Carpenter scored a game-high 23 points with 19 coming in the second half for the Vikings. CSU turned in 21 points off 21 IUPUI turnovers in the victory.

A WIN VS. CSU WOULD GIVE UIC...

• The fifth Horizon League victory of the season and third away from home.
• Back-to-back road wins at the Wolstein Center for the first time since Feb. 22 and Dec. 27, 2006.
• Three wins vs. CSU under Steve McClain, tied for most against HL foe (UWM, YSU).

DOWNTOWN DAMAGE

• UIC made a season-high 14 3-pointers in a 92-78 victory at Youngstown State Thursday. The total was one shy of the single-game record under Steve McClain (at Milwaukee, 2/4/17).
• The Flames shot a season-high 53.8 percent from beyond the arc. The performance elevtated UIC's overall season percentage from 29.4 to 31.1 percent.
• Sophomore Marcus Ottey made a career-high four long-range shots against the Penguins, while classmate Godwin Boahen matched his best effort with four as well.

FERGUSON FINDS HIS FRIENDS

• After returning on Jan. 4 after missing nine games, sophomore Tarkus Ferguson has found his stride running the offense.
• Ferguson is averaging 7.8 assists per game in #HLMBB play with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.3.
• The Flames are averaging 17.8 apg in four #HLMBB victories with a season-high 21 helpers Thursday at Youngstown State
• UIC averages 14.5 apg with Ferguson in the lineup this season and 9.0 apg without him.

OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY

• In four Horizon League victories, UIC is shooting 52.2 percent from the field.
• Against Green Bay and Milwaukee, the Flames shot at least 50 percent in back-to-back games for the first time under Steve McClain, and the first time overall since Feb. 8 and 12, 2015 (at UDM, at WSU).
• UIC had its best performance of the year from the floor on Jan. 10 vs. Green Bay, shooting 58.2 percent in victory.
• The Flames made a season-high 34 field goals on Jan. 12 against Milwaukee.
• UIC is averaging 17.8 assists per game over the four wins, assisting on 59.7 percent of its made field goals in that span.

BLOCK PARTY

• UIC leads the Horizon League and ranks third nationally with 6.9 blocks per game.
• Michigan State is the NCAA leader through games of Jan. 18 with 8.0 blocks per game.
• Louisville (7.4) also ranks ahead of the Flames.
• On Dec. 6 against UW-Parkside, UIC matched a high in the Steve McClain era for the third time with 12 blocks.
• UIC blocked 11 shots on Thursday at Youngstown State, marking the fourth time this season that the Flames had double-digit rejections.

SCOUTING THE VIKINGS

• Cleveland State enters Saturday's game with an overall record of 5-15 and a 2-5 mark in Horizon League play. All five Viking wins this season have come at the Wolstein Center.
• Cleveland State, under first-year head coach Dennis Felton, has three players averaging more than 10 points per game. Kenny Carpenter paces the Vikings with 13.2 points per game. The only player to start all 20 games, Bobby Word, is second at 11.3 ppg.
• The Vikings rank third in the Horizon League in turnover margin at +1.7.

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