CHICAGO -- UIC will welcome its third opponent from the Missouri Valley Conference in the last five games to Credit Union 1 Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 5, when the Illinois State Redbirds fly into the Windy City for a 6 p.m. CT showdown.
Last time out, the Flames (3-5) dropped a hard-fought battle with the Loyola Ramblers, the only team picked to finish ahead of Illinois State (6-3) in the MVC preseason poll. UIC entered that crosstown battle averaging 11.0 3-pointers made per game, but it was held to a season-low five as Loyola worked its way to a nine-point victory.
ISU saw a four-game winning streak snapped in its last game when it fell to San Diego State on Saturday in the Missouri Valley/Mountain West Challenge, 75-65. The team's 65 points were the fewest in a contest this season.
Wednesday's clash, the 24
th all-time between the programs, will be televised live on NBC Sports Chicago at 6 p.m. Jordan Bernfield will call the action and David Kaplan will provide color commentary.
Click here to find NBC Sports Chicago on your cable provider. The game will also be carried nationally on
ESPN+.
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OT-STANDING PERFORMANCE
- Guard Marcus Ottey scored a game-high 20 points Saturday against Loyola Chicago, while shooting 83.3 percent (10-of-12) from the floor.
- Ottey's 10 field goals against the Ramblers marked a season high. It was the fourth time in his career that he hit at least 10 field goals in a game.
- The Preseason All-Horizon League First Team selection is the only UIC player to score in double figures in all eight games this season.
- In last season's matchup against Illinois State, Ottey came off the bench for the Flames and also shot 83.3 percent (10-of-12) with 23 points. He has started 33 consecutive games for UIC since that performance.
FERG FILLS THE STAT SHEET
- Junior Tarkus Ferguson leads UIC is scoring, rebounding, assists and blocks through eight games this season.
- The Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team honoree averages 17.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.
- He is the only Horizon League player to rank in the top 12 in the conference in all four statistical categories.
- Ferguson also ranks 16th in the NCAA with 29 3-point field goals this year. He is 31st in the country in 3-point field goal percentage, connecting on 48.3 of those efforts.
JUNIORS JUST GET BUCKETS
- UIC's top five scorers by average are all juniors with three in their third season with the Flames, one in his second and one a newcomer.
- The top three scorers - Tarkus Ferguson (17.5), Marcus Ottey (17.0) and Godwin Boahen (15.1)Â - account for 62.3 percent of the team's scoring output this season.
- That trio has combined to play 218 games and make 154 starts in a Flames uniform.
- All three rank in the top eight in the Horizon League in scoring, while no other team has more than two in the top 10 (Detroit Mercy and Wright State).
NOTHING BUT NET
- The first NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings were announced Nov. 26 and UIC checked in at No. 73 on the initial list.
- At No. 174, UIC is fifth in the Horizon League behind Green Bay (115), IUPUI (124), NKU (129) and Wright State (141).
- The Flames rank second among teams with at least five losses (Texas Southern, 150).
- NET relies on game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses.
COMMITMENT FROM CREDIT UNION 1
- On Nov. 15, UIC and Credit Union 1 announced a naming rights agreement pending approval of The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois to call the home of the Flames: Credit Union 1 Arena.
- The 15-year agreement is valued at $9.3 million. Credit Union 1 will also contribute $750,000 in scholarship funding to UIC students.
More notes, statistics and information can be found in the UIC Game Notes (PDF) linked in the blue box above.
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