CHICAGO – The UIC women's basketball team (2-14, 1-4 HL) will tie a ribbon on its longest homestand of the season as it squares off with Northern Kentucky (8-8, 2-3 HL) on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. CT inside Credit Union 1 Arena.

The Flames will also be honoring former student-athlete and long-time administrator Tonya McGowan at halftime, raising her former basketball jersey number 55 into the rafters of the arena in honor of her retirement from UIC's athletic department back in August of 2019.

WITH A WIN, UIC WOULD:

• Improve to 3-14 on the season
• Win its second Horizon League game of the season
• Improve to 3-7 all-time against Northern Kentucky
• Snap a two-game skid against the Norse
• Win its second home game of the season

LAST TIME OUT

• UIC fell 58-43 at home against defending Horizon League Champion Wright State Thursday evening.
• The Flames kept the Raiders to their lowest shooting percentage in Horizon League play so far and third-lowest of the season overall at 33.8 percent (24-of-71), while putting away 34.6 percent (18-of-52) of their own shots on the night.
• Junior Jada Nneji came away with her third double-double of the season, tabbing a game-high 19 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
• For the fourth-straight game, UIC finished with at least 30 points scored in the paint.

NNEJI'S BLOCK PARTY

• Junior Jada Nneji recently passed former Flame Angela Gilbert (1989-93) on the career blocks list, moving into seventh place all-time with 115 career blocks. She is now just four blocks away from the sixth spot all-time.
• The 2018-19 Horizon League All-Defensive Team honoree is averaging 2.2 blocks per game this season to lead the Horizon League.
• Nneji's is one of just two Flames to average in double figures, scoring an average of 11.4 points per game, while also owning six double-digit scoring performances.
• The junior has scored in double figures in her last four consecutive outings, including a career-high 21-point performance on Jan. 2 against Detroit Mercy.
• Nneji picked up her second double-double of the season on Thursday (Jan. 9) against Wright State, leading the team in both points (19) and rebounds (10).
• Nneji ranks sixth in the League in rebounds, averaging 7.8 boards per game. She owns three double-digit rebounding performances, vs. Florida State (Nov. 23), vs. Western Michigan and vs. Eastern Michigan (Dec. 18).
• Nneji has made two or more stops in eight appearances so far, including a season-high five at Miami (Nov. 26).

DRIVING FOR BUCKETS

• The Flames have had success in driving the ball and scoring in the paint as of late, tallying 30 points or more in the paint in their last four contests.
• In those four contests, at least 46 percent of UIC's total points have come from within the paint.
• On Thursday against Oakland, 70 percent (30-of-43) of UIC's points were scored inside the paint.
• UIC has also shot 40 percent or better in three of those four contests.
• Both of UIC's wins this season have come with 30 or more paint points.
• The Flames have tallied 30+ points from the paint in six games this year and have outscored their opponents in the paint four times this season.

SCOUTING THE NORSE

• Northern Kentucky is 2-3 in Horizon League play and .500 on the season overall (8-8) after dropping its last two contests against Cleveland State and IUPUI.
• The Norse rank fourth in the conference in scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of 64.4 points per game.
• Molly Glick paces Northern Kentucky's offense, scoring an average of 12.8 points per contest and rank seventh in the Horizon League.
• Kailey Coffee is the squad's top rebounder with an average of 7.9 boards per game, putting her at sixth in the League.
• Ally Niece owns the top spot in the conference in assists, handing out an average of 3.5 helpers per game.
• The Norse took both meetings last year, and they own a 7-2 record all-time over the Flames.

UP NEXT

• UIC will return to the road to face Milwaukee (Jan. 17) and Green Bay (Jan. 19).