ST. LOUIS – The UIC men's basketball team (12-19, 4-16 MVC, No. 11 seed) will compete in its first-ever State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament game Thursday night, as it will take on Missouri State (16-14, 12-8 MVC, No. 6 seed). The Flames and Bears will play the final game of Session 2, with tip-off scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT.
 
MATCHUP BREAKDOWN

• The Flames and Bears meet for the third time this season, with Missouri State getting the better of UIC in the two previous matchups. The Bears bested UIC in the Flames' first-ever MVC game on Nov. 30, and also defeated the Flames by four points in Springfield, Mo. on Jan. 24.
• Jace Carter and Filip Skobalj combined for 37 of UIC's 59 points in the January meeting, a defensive affair with both teams shooting under 40 percent from the field.
• Bears leading scorer Donovan Clay netted 19 points in the last meeting, and the Flames will look to limit his impact on Thursday's game.
• The Bears rank third in the Missouri Valley in team defense, allowing an average of just 63.67 points per game to their opponents. To the contrary, Missouri State also ranks second-to-last in the MVC in team offense, averaging only 65.77 points per game.
• The Flames enter the State Farm Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Tournament as winners of two of their last three games, including victories over Valparaiso and Evansville.
• Defense has been key for the Flames success this season, as UIC leads the Missouri Valley in blocked shots, as well as opponent turnovers.
• Effective sharing of the ball will also be crucial in Thursday's match-up, as the Flames average 13 assists per game, while the Bears average 11.57.

 
GAME SCHEDULE & TICKETS

• The Arch Madness bracket can be found here.
• If the Flames win Thursday, they'll play No. 3 seed Southern Illinois at 8:30 p.m. on Friday in the MVC Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinals.
• All Arch Madness tickets will be mobile.
• Fans can purchase Session 2 tickets by emailing athleticsticketing@uic.edu, or by calling the athletics ticketing office at (312) 413-UIC1 (8421).

 
UIC ALUMNI & FAN RECEPTION

• There will be a reception for all Flames faculty, staff, fans and alumni to attend on Wednesday, Mar. 1 at the Hotel Saint Louis Skybar.
• The reception will run from 6-8 p.m.
• Flames fans are encouraged to RSVP to Assistant AD - Development Anthony Miele (amiele@uic.edu) by Tuesday, Feb. 28.

 
UIC TEAM SEND-OFF

• The Flames will host a team send-off in the lobby of Hotel Saint Louis at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 2. If the Flames advance past Thursday, stay tuned to social media for the announcement of team send-off times for subsequent games.
• Joining the team at the send-off will be members of the spirit squads and pep band.
• Fans are encouraged to wear UIC spirit wear as they look to cheer on the Flames to victory.
• UIC fans should follow the Flames on social media for updates on the team send-offs each day of the tournament.

 
BROADCAST INFORMATION

• UIC's game Thursday will air on the NBC Sports Chicago Plus, Bally Sports Midwest Extra, Bally Sports Indiana Extra, Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Southeast and ESPN+. These channels are all part of the MVC TV Network. 
• Thursday's contest will not be available to stream on ESPN+ for those living in Iowa, Kentucky or Tennessee. 

 
ARCH MADNESS TOURNAMENT APP

• Fans are encouraged to download the Arch Madness Tournament app via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
• The Arch Madness Tournament app will have fans' tournament tickets available via Ticketmaster, a map of the Enterprise Center, helpful FAQ's, individualized content and schedules pertaining to UIC and much more.

 
UIC FLAMES MERCHANDISE

• Stock up on UIC Flames gear prior to heading to St. Louis by ordering apparel, accessories and more from uicflamesshop.com.

 
For all up-to-date information on all things Arch Madness, visit the UIC Arch Madness Fan Central.