NASSAU, Bahamas (Nov. 25, 2023) – UIC has a chance to bring more than memories back from its trip to the Bahamas when it faces UNCG in the championship game of the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship at 6 p.m. (CT) Sunday inside the Baha Mar Convention Center in Nassau, Bahamas. Sunday's game will be streamed live on FloHoops, which is broadcasting every game from this year's tournament. Live stats for all Flames' games in the Bahamas will also be available at UICFlames.com.

UNCG (4-1, 0-0 SoCon) vs. UIC (5-1, 0-0 MVC)
Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship - Final
Sunday, Nov. 26 | 6 p.m. CT
Baha Mar Convention Center (800) | Nassau, Bahamas
Tournament Website Live Stats

THE SERIES BREAKDOWN

• UIC and UNCG will be playing one another for the first time
• The Spartans are the third first-time opponent on the Flames' non-conference schedule this season, and the second at this weekend's tournament in the Bahamas
• UIC defeated Little Rock (86-71) on Nov. 10 at Credit Union 1 Arena, then downed Middle Tennessee (70-40) in Friday's quarterfinal round at the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship.

MORE ON UNCG

• UNCG is 4-1 this season after booking its place in Sunday's title game with an 88-77 win over Delaware on Saturday in the semifinal round of the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship.
• The Spartans' signature win to date this season was a 78-72 victory at No. 14 Arkansas on Nov. 17.
• UNCG also has wins over North Carolina A&T (94-78) and Kansas City (76-64), the latter in the Spartans' opener in the Bahamas.
• UNCG's lone loss this year was a 74-70 setback at Vanderbilt on Nov. 14. 
• UNCG head coach Mike Jones and UIC head coach Luke Yaklich are part of the same coaching tree, having both served as assistants under the legendary John Beilein (Jones at Richmond from 2000-02 and West Virginia from 2002-03; Yaklich at Michigan from 2017-19) and Shaka Smart (Jones at VCU from 2009-11; Yaklich at Texas from 2019-20).

TOURNAMENT NOTES

• UIC has advanced to the championship game of a multi-team event (MTE) for the first time since Nov. 17-20, 2005, when UIC won its first two games at the BP Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska, against Montana State (69-64) and San Diego State (66-63) before falling in overtime to Denver (52-48) in the title contest.
• UIC last won a regular-season tournament title on Dec. 4-6, 1997, claiming the crown at the KYLT/Coca-Cola Classic in Missoula, Mont., with wins over Western Illinois (78-60) and host Montana (80-70).
• UIC is playing in an MTE for the third time in the four-year tenure of head coach Luke Yaklich. Last year, the Flames went to Bronx, N.Y., and won two of three games to place second at Fordham's Tom Konchalski Classic.
• UIC last played in an MTE in the Caribbean from Nov. 16-19, 2012, going 2-1 and finishing third at the eight-team Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• The Flames also played in the 2007 Paradise Jam, as well as the 1992 and 1999 San Juan (P.R.) Shootouts.

LAST TIME OUT: GEORGE WASHINGTON

• UIC led wire-to-wire and held off several challenges to capture an 89-79 win over George Washington on Saturday night in the semifinals of the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship.
• The Flames jumped out to a 25-11 lead less than seven minutes into the game, led by as many as 15 points early in the second half and never let GW get within one possession the rest of the way.
• The Revolutionaries only once got within four points and that came with 1:49 left in the game before UIC ended on a 9-3 run.
• For the second time in three games, the Flames had five players score in double figures, led by a game-high 23 points from senior guard Isaiah Rivera and a career-best 22 points from sophomore guard CJ Jones.

THIS & THAT

• UIC is off to a 5-1 start this year, its best opening to a campaign since the 2012-13 season, when the Flames started off 9-1.
• UIC has a pair of wins this season over Atlantic 10 Conference schools, both away from home (at Loyola on Nov. 14; vs. George Washington in the Bahamas on Saturday).

WINNING WITH DEFENSE, PART I

• Through six games this season, UIC leads the nation in field percentage defense (.350) and ranks No. 2 in three-point percentage defense (.229) — the percentages are updated, while rankings are as of Saturday morning and do not include the Flames' win over George Washington.
• In its Nov. 14 road win, UIC held Loyola to a .328 field-goal percentage in its Nov. 14 win, the best defensive performance by the Flames against Ramblers since Feb. 24, 2007, when UIC held Loyola to a .296 mark in a 52-51 win, also at Gentile Arena.

WINNING WITH DEFENSE, PART II

• UIC is also defending well at the rim, ranking fifth in the nation with 6.8 blocks per game (tops in the MVC).
• Senior guard Toby Okani ranks 11th nationally and leads the MVC with 2.67 blocks per game.

WINNING WITH DEFENSE, PART III

• UIC head coach Luke Yaklich has developed a deserved reputation for building tough, defensive-minded clubs throughout his career on the sidelines.
• In his three-plus seasons with the Flames, UIC is 13-0 when holding opponents to 60 points or fewer.
• The 40 points UIC allowed to Middle Tennessee on Friday were the fewest yielded by the Flames since Dec. 30, 2014, in a 79-38 win over Judson at Credit Union 1 Arena.
• It was also the fewest points UIC has given up to a Division I opponent since Nov. 17, 2012, in a 62-36 win over Mercer at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

RIVERA NAMED MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• UIC senior guard Isaiah Rivera was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week on Tuesday.
• Rivera is the first Flames' men's basketball player to earn that award since the program joined the MVC prior to last season, and the first to receive a conference's top weekly accolade since Jan. 17, 2022, when Kevin Johnson was the Horizon League Player of the Week.
• Rivera averaged 18.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game last week with a 3.00 assist/turnover ratio, a .591 field-goal percentage (13-22) and a razor-sharp .600 three-point percentage (6-10) as UIC improved to 3-1 this season with victories on the road at crosstown rival Loyola and at home vs. Aurora.
• Rivera scored a game-high 23 points (8-15 FG, 3-7 3FG), including 13 in the second half, in the Nov. 14 win at Loyola. He then turned in a near-perfect shooting performance with 13 points (5-7 FG, 3-3 3FG) and four rebounds in Sunday's victory over Aurora.

DOUBLE-DIGIT TRIPLES

• UIC knocked down at least 10 three-pointers in four of its last five games  — 10 vs. Little Rock and Loyola; season-high 14 vs. Aurora; 13 vs. George Washington).
• The 14 triples against Aurora tied for the most in the Yaklich era, set twice before (most recently on Nov. 25, 2021, against Hawaii at the Las Vegas Classic.
• That Hawaii game also capped off the last time UIC had three straight games with 10+ three-pointers (before the Little Rock-Loyola-Aurora trio of games), a stretch that lasted from Nov. 16-25, 2021, and started at home against Trinity Christian and continued at Loyola (10 3FG apiece).

MAKING THE CONNECTION

• UIC has shot better than 50 percent from the floor in its last three games, including a season-high .576 on Nov. 19 against Aurora.
• The last time the Flames topped 50 percent shooting in three straight games was Feb. 17-24, 2022 at Youngstown State (.500), at Robert Morris (.507) and at home vs. Green Bay (.521).

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES

• Along with its seven returnees, UIC welcomes nine newcomers to the fold this season, including six transfers (four from Division I schools).
• Among the new arrivals to Chicago's College Team are senior guard Isaiah Rivera (5.0 ppg., .397 3FG% in three years at Colorado State), graduate guard Marquise Kennedy (8.0 ppg. in four years at Loyola), junior guard Yusef Salih (5.9 ppg. in two years at Idaho) and sophomore guard Drew King (8.9 ppg. in one year at Houston Christian).

THE REIGN IN SPAIN

• UIC got an early jump on the 2023-24 season with a nine-day tour of Spain, winning all three games it played against local club teams in Barcelona and Madrid.
• The Flames also enjoyed a number of the famous local attractions during their trip, including Barcelona's legendary church, La Sagrada Familia, and popular shopping district, Las Ramblas.

CARLOS HARRIS SIGNS WITH UIC

• On Nov. 9, UIC announced point guard Carlos Harris (6-2, 180) has signed a national letter of intent to play for the Flames beginning in 2024-25.
• One of the top players in the Chicago Public League for Curie Metropolitan High School, Harris averaged 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals per game last season in helping the Condors to a 20-11 record.
• Harris is a three-star athlete who is the No. 35 point guard in the country and the No. 13 player in the state of Illinois in the Class of 2024.

UP NEXT: ILLINOIS STATE

• UIC returns home Thursday to open Missouri Valley Conference play with a 7 p.m. (CT) tipoff against Illinois State at Credit Union 1 Arena. That game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
• The matchup with the Redbirds will also begin a stretch that will see the Flames play four of their next five games at Credit Union 1 Arena. That run continues with home games on Dec. 12 (Green Bay), Dec. 16 (Western Michigan) and Dec. 21 (Incarnate Word).

THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN

• Season and single-game tickets, as well as mini-plans and flex ticket plans for all UIC basketball home games may be purchased online through Ticketmaster and UICFlames.com/Tickets, by contacting the UIC Athletics Ticket Office (312-413-UIC1; athleticsticketing@uic.edu) or visiting the Credit Union 1 Arena box office on game night.
• Fans can also learn more about the benefits associated with purchasing season or single-game passes for the Courtside Club at Credit Union 1 Arena through the UIC Athletics Ticket Office or the arena box office.