CHICAGO -- UIC makes its final roadtrip of non-conference play on Saturday, Dec. 11 as the Flames head up to Mount Pleasant to take on Central Michigan. Tip-off against the Chippewas is slated for 3:30 p.m. (CT) on ESPN3.

OPENING TIP
• The Flames dropped the second game of their opening weekend of Horizon League play on Sunday, 64-56, to Oakland. Damaria Franklin recorded his team-leading third double-double of the year in the contest, finishing with a team-high 18 points to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds.
• Kevin Johnson ranks second in the Horizon League with 6.6 assists per game, while his game-high nine assists in UIC's victory over Valpo are tied as the ninth-highest single-game assist total in the League so far this season. Johnson ranks eighth nationally in assists per game.

MATCHUP BREAKDOWN
• UIC and Central Michigan will be meeting for the second year in a row and for the 11th time in series history.
• The two teams met a year ago on Nov. 28, 2020, with UIC picking up a 74-72 victory inside Credit Union 1 Arena. 
• The Flames locked down the Chippewas from deep, as Central Michigan finished 2-for-18 (11.1%) from 3-point range.
• Central Michigan enters the game 1-8 on the year, having fallen to Horizon League foe Youngstown State last time out.

DISH IT OUT
• UIC newcomer Kevin Johnson has led UIC's offense as the point guard this season, handing out a team-leading 53 assists while only turning the ball over 22 times. 
• Johnson's 6.6 assists per game are tops in the Horizon League while his 53 total assists are second-best in the League. Johnson ranks eighth nationally in assists per game and 13th in the country in total assists.
• Johnson has remained a consistent presence all year, tallying four or more assists in every game this year and seven or more assists five times.
• As a team, the Flames have 128 assists on the year, the second-most in the Horizon League.
• UIC dished out a season-high 28 assists in its 91-50 win over Trinity Christian on Nov. 16. The 28 helpers are the most under Luke Yaklich and were just three shy of matching the program record for most assists in a game (31, twice, last vs. Northeastern Illinois on Dec. 9, 1987).

CLOSING IN ON 1K
• UIC's Michael Diggins is on pace to surpass 1,000 career points this season.
• Entering Saturday's game, Diggins has score 941 career points, 59 shy of reaching the milestone.
• Diggins scored 327 points in the 2019 season, his highest single-season output with the Flames, and averaged a personal-best 10.8 points per game in last year's shortened season.
• When he reaches the mark, Diggins will become the 27th player in program history to score 1,000 career points.