MOLINE, Ill. – No. 6 UIC left a strong first impression in the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Tournament as the Flames routed No. 11 Valparaiso 72-47 in the opening round of Hoops in the Heartland.
 
The victory is UIC's first win in a conference tournament game since the 2016-17 season and also the Flames' first postseason win as a member of the MVC.
 
The Flames were led offensively by Josie Filer, who scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Jaida McCloud scored 16 points and added four rebounds and three assists.

COMMENT FROM HEAD COACH ASHLEEN BRACEY

"They didn't overlook them, they didn't take them lightly. We prepared hard all week, and they just went out there and just let it flow." 

COMMENT FROM GR. FORWARD JOSIE FILER

On Valparaiso's Gameplay: "Kind of adjusting to the whistle, we knew they were going to try and pack it in inside pretty well, and they upped the intensity pretty the last time we played them. We adjusted where we could. We kicked the ball out, we were strong with the ball, those kinds of things."
 
FIRST HALF

• UIC started off red hot in the first quarter, opening the game on a 10-0 run, with the front court of McCloud and Filer each scoring five points
• The Flames had a commanding 17-8 lead after the first ten minutes of the game.
• The second quarter was the closest quarter of the contest between the two teams. Seven of UIC's 11 points in the second came from Filer.
• The Flames work continued to shine in the paint, as they outscored the Beacons, 16-8 in the first half.
• UIC went into halftime with a 28-20 lead.

SECOND HALF

• The Flames started to pull away from the Beacons in the third as they began the second half with a 13-4 run.
• UIC scored 22 points in the third to take a commanding 50-34 lead over Valparaiso. Kristian Young scored all six of her points in the game in the third quarter.
• UIC  continued to extend its lead in the fourth, shooting 57% from the field.
• The Flames outscored the Beacons 22-14 over the final frame to seal the commanding 25-point victory.

KEY STATS FROM THE CONTEST

• The Flames defense prevented the Beacons from recording a single offensive rebound in the game. UIC had 35 total rebounds (13 offensive, 22 defensive) in the victory.
• UIC attempted 58 shots from the floor compared to Valparaiso's 37. The Flames finished the night going 46.6% from the floor.
• Three Flames (Josie Filer, Jaida McCloud, Sara Zabrecky) played more than 30 of the games' 40 minutes, with Kristian Young playing for 27 minutes. Danyel Middleton added 23 minutes off the bench.
• UIC capitalized off turnovers in its victory over Valparaiso. The Flames scored 29 points off turnovers, compared to the Beacons' five.

UP NEXT
 
The Flames move on to the Hoops in the Heartland Quarterfinals and will take on No. 3 Northern Iowa. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 CT and fans can watch the action on ESPN+.
 
TEAM SEND OFF

Those interested in coming to the game are invited to a team send off at Hotel Blackhawk beginning at 6:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear UIC gear or colors to the event to help cheer the Flames to victory.
 
TICKETS
 
Tickets are still available for all of UIC's remaining games at Hoops in the Heartland. Contact UIC's athletic ticketing office at (312) 413-UIC1 (8421) or email athleticsticketing@uic.edu to purchase tickets. Vibrant Arena at THE MARK is under a three hour drive from UIC's campus for fans interested in driving out for remaining games. To find more information on hotels in the Quad Cities, go to the Hoops in the Heartland webpage.