CHICAGO -- The UIC men's basketball team makes its first conference trip as members of the Missouri Valley Conference on Saturday, Dec. 3, when the Flames head to Des Moines to take on Drake.
OPENING TIP
• Tipoff inside the Knapp Center is slated for 5 p.m. with the game being broadcast on ESPN+. The Voice of the Flames, Jonathan Hood, alongside Hall of Famer Kenny Williams, will have the call of the game on the Flames Network, available on UICFlames.com.
• The Flames have excelled at defending the rim this season, ranking first in the Missouri Valley and 29th nationally with 5.3 blocks per game.
Cameron Fens' 12 total blocks through seven games are third in the MVC.
MATCHUP BREAKDOWN
• Saturday's contest will be the 10th in program history between the Flames and Bulldogs. The two teams last met early in the 2015-16 season, with Drake claiming an 83-62 victory in Des Moines.
• The Bulldogs lead the all-time series, 7-2, and enter the contest at 6-1 following a loss to Indiana State in the team's first MVC contest of the season Wednesday evening.
• Tucker DeVries is one of the top scorers in the country, ranking first in the Missouri Valley and 17th nationally with 20.7 points per game.
• The Bulldogs were picked atop the MVC Preseason Poll, with DeVries and Roman Penn earning preseason All-MVC honors.
TURNOVER MACHINE
• Through eight games, the Flames have forced their opponents to commit 16.25 turnovers per game.
• UIC is first in the Missouri valley and 58th nationally in the category. The Flames' +3.2 turnover margin also leads all MVC schools and ranks 62nd nationally.
• Against Loyola, the Flames forced the Ramblers to turn the ball over 25 times.
Christian Jones was heavily involved with five steals, while
Tre Anderson had four.
• The Flames forced double-digit turnovers in all three games of the Tom Konchalski Classic, including 16 against Holy Cross and Stonehill.
MAKING THE FREEBIES
•
Tre Anderson took advantage of the free throw line in UIC's 67-60 victory over Jacksonville State.
• Of Anderson's 20 points, 15 came from the free throw line. Anderson would finish 15-for-20 from the charity stripe.
• The graduate student became the first Flame to make 15 or more free throws in a game since Kelsey Barlow vs. Wagner (17-of-19) on Nov. 27, 2013.
• Anderson's 15 made free throws are tied for the fifth most in UIC single-game history.
Anderson currently ranks fourth among all DI players with 50 made free throws while his 68 total attempts is second in the country.
• As a team, the Flames rank 23rd in the country with 24.1 free throw attempts per game.
