CHICAGO - The UIC men's basketball team continues MVC play Wednesday night, as they open the 2023 portion of the schedule, hosting the Belmont Bruins. After dropping their most recent contest to Bradley on the road Dec. 31, the Flames will look to rebound with a victory, a feat they have accomplished after four of their previous five defeats.
 
MATCHUP BREAKDOWN
 
• Wednesday night's match-up between the Bruins and Flames will be the first ever meeting between the two sides, with a second meeting still slated for Feb. 11 in Nashville.
• The Bruins also enter Wednesday night's clash with a 9-6 overall record, with a one-game advantage on the Flames in MVC play with a 2-2 mark.
• Belmont averages scoring 74.1 points per game on the season, while only giving up 71.5 on average.
• Senior Ben Sheppard leads the way for the Bruins in almost every statistical category, including points (18.1), rebounds (4.7), and assists (52) in the team's first 15 contests.
 
HOME COOKING
 
• UIC boasts an impressive 5-2 record this season in games played at Credit Union 1 Arena, including victories in four of their last five contests.
• The Flames currently sit in ninth place in the Missouri Valley Conference through just four games played. Three teams above the Flames are all just one game ahead of UIC, including the Bruins.
 
Wednesday night's game can be seen nationally on ESPN+, and live audio can be found at UICFlames.com. The Voice of the Flames Jonathan Hood, as well as former Flame Kenny Williams will have all the action on the Flames Network.