CHICAGO -- UIC returns home to face future Horizon League foe Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday, Dec. 7. Tipoff inside Credit Union 1 Arena is set for 3:12 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN3. Jonathan Hood and Joe Brand will have the call of Saturday's action.

• Saturday's contest will be the fourth all-time meeting between the Flames and Mastodons, who are set to join the Horizon League beginning with the 2020-21 academic year.

• UIC leads the all-time series, 2-1, but Purdue Fort Wayne won the most recent matchup.

• The two teams last met on Nov. 18, 2017, with the 'Dons taking a 67-51 victory in Chicago. Marcus Ottey scored a team-high 12 points while Tai Odiase handled the glass by bringing in 10 rebounds.

• Purdue Fort Wayne is 6-5 on the year and is coming off a 74-69 victory over Eastern Illinois.

• Three 'Dons average double figures, with Jarred Godfrey (16.3), Brian Patrick (14.1) and Matt Hobba (10.0) all in double figures on average.

ATTA BOY AHALE

• Junior Jamie Ahale had a career-day for UIC, leading the Flames to an 89-83 victory over San Diego in the final game of the Boca Raton Beach Classic on Dec. 2.

• The Montrose, Australia native scored a career-high 23 points on a career-best five made field goals. Nearly half of his 23 points came from a standout day at the free throw line, going a perfect 11-for-11 from the charity stripe. The 11 made free throws also set a new personal best.

• Nine of Ahale's 11 free throws came in the second half, with six of those 11 free throws happening in the final 22 seconds of action as San Diego looked to extend the game.

• Ahale is shooting 90% from the free throw line this year and is one of three Flames (Godwin Boahen - 91.3%, Brian Taylor - 90.0%) to shoot 90% or better from the charity stripe.

• The junior also connected on a pair of 3-pointers in the game, extending his streak with at least one 3-pointer to 11 games dating back to the final two games of the 2018-19 season.