CHICAGO -- UIC opens up its Horizon League schedule on Saturday, Dec. 28 as the Flames welcome Cleveland State to Credit Union 1 Arena. Tipoff is slated for 3:12 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

SERIES STUFF
• Saturday's game will be the 87th all-time meeting between the Flames and the Vikings. Cleveland State leads the series, 48-38, with the Flames having won the last two contests.
• UIC swept the season series a year ago, picking up a 73-56 victory at home on Jan. 12 before claiming an 81-77 road win on Feb. 14.
• The Flames have won five of the last seven meetings in the series, coming on the heels of a stretch where the Vikings had won 18-of-19 games.
• Clevelend State is 4-9 under first-year head coach Dennis Gates. The Vikings are led offensively by Algevon Eichelberger, who averages 13 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Tre Gomillion is second on the team in scoring, adding 10.2 points per contest.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
• Braelen Bridges tallied UIC's third double-double of the season, and second in as many games, with 14 points and 14 rebounds against DePaul on Dec. 14.
• Bridges tied a season-high with the 14 points while setting a new high with the 14 rebounds. His 29 minutes played also set a new season/career best for the sophomore in his first year with the program.
• Godwin Boahen recorded UIC's second double-double of the year on Dec. 7 with 13 points and 12 rebounds against Purdue Fort Wayne.
• It was the second double-double of Boahen's career and the 12 rebounds matched a career-high for the senior.
• Junior Michael Diggins recorded his first-career double-double and the first double-double for UIC in 2019-20 on Nov. 16 against Bradley with a team-leading 13 points and 11 rebounds.

THE BAND IS BACK
• Senior Marcus Ottey made his season debut for the Flames in their game against DePaul on Dec. 14 after missing the first 10 games of the year due to injury.
• Ottey, UIC's active leader in career scoring, finished the game with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting while playing 24 minutes.
• One game later against Illinois State (Dec. 18), fellow senior Jordan Blount made his season debut after missing the first 11 games of the year. 
• The native of Cork, Ireland finished with six points and six rebounds in 12 minutes.