CHICAGO (Jan. 11, 2023) – It's been nearly a month since the UIC women's basketball team (8-6, 1-2 MVC) last played at Credit Union 1 Arena, but now the Flames are ready to start a four-game homestand this weekend with two challenging Missouri Valley Conference opponents in Northern Iowa and Drake. Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with Friday's UNI game part of The Valley on ESPN package.
 
GAME INFORMATION vs. Northern Iowa (3-9, 2-1 MVC)
Friday, Jan. 12 | 7 p.m. CT
Credit Union 1 Arena | Chicago, Ill.
ESPN+
Live Stats
 
GAME INFORMATION vs. Drake (10-4, 3-0 MVC)
Sunday, Jan. 14 | 1 p.m. CT
Credit Union 1 Arena | Chicago, Ill.
ESPN+
Live Stats
 
LAST TIME OUT
In its last game on Jan. 6, UIC fell just short on the road at Missouri State, 51-50. The Flames got a great look at a potential game-winning layup with only 1.1 seconds left, but the shot by junior Makiyah Williams (Chicago, Ill./Trinity/Marquette) rimmed in and out. Williams led the Flames offensively with 13 points, while two Flames posted double-doubles — senior forward Jaida McCloud (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods) had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and graduate student guard Keimari Rimmer (Chicago, Ill./Proviso East/DePaul) tallied 11 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Two days earlier, UIC came out victorious against Southern Illinois in Carbondale, winning 66-59. The Flames bounced back well in the final 20 minutes behind senior center Tara Green's (West Helena, Ark./Central/New Orleans) 21 second-half points. She led all scorers with 23 points, grabbed nine rebounds and went 7-for-8 from the free-throw line, including a perfect 4-for-4 in the final 30 seconds. Williams contributed 13 points, while senior forward Danyel Middleton (Chicago, Ill./Bolingbrook/Marquette) added 11 points.
 
SCOUTING NORTHERN IOWA
Facing a difficult non-conference schedule, Northern Iowa struggled to find a win at the beginning of the season and currently has a 3-9 overall record. The Panthers faced several established opponents in the first two months of the season, earning a victory over Green Bay (78-67), but taking losses to No. 3 Iowa (94-53), Syracuse (71-54), Vanderbilt (68-64), Creighton (115-64) and Iowa State (87-70). In their first conference matchup, the Panthers narrowly lost to Missouri State, 54-52, but rebounded with victories over Evansville (82-52) and Indiana State (85-79) to improve to 2-1 in the Valley.
 
Junior guard Maya McDermott is leading the Panthers in scoring this season at 14.1 points per game. She scored a season-high 30 points on Dec. 20 against Iowa State.
 
UIC and Northern Iowa met three times last season, most recently in the quarterfinals of the 2023 MVC Tournament (Hoops in the Heartland) in Moline, Ill., with the Panthers winning 73-57.
 
SCOUTING DRAKE
Drake is among four MVC teams with a 3-0 conference record this season, to go along with a 10-4 overall mark. The Bulldogs have notable non-conference wins against Saint Louis (78-66) and Iowa State (85-73), along with setbacks against No. 2 Iowa (113-90), Richmond (74-66), Minnesota (94-88 in double overtime), and Creighton (89-78). In conference play, the Bulldogs beat Southern Illinois (78-59), Indiana State (77-47), and Evansville (78-68).
 
Junior Katie Dinnebier stands as the top scorer for Drake, averaging 19.2 points per game, while junior Anna Miller leads in rebounding at 8.9 boards per game. As a team, Drake ranks 11^th in the NCAA and leads the MVC with a .491 field goal percentage at .491
 
The series between UIC and Drake is relatively limited, with the Bulldogs leading 6-2. The teams first met during the 1978-79 season and their most recent encounter came last February when UIC defeated Drake, 64-52 at Credit Union 1 Arena.
 
GAME PROMOTIONS
Friday night's game will be Dinner at CU1, where the first 500 UIC students in attendance will receive free pizza. Sunday will be a reunion for the Ashleen Bracey League and the Flames' women's basketball summer camps. Sunday's game will be the first of three that will offer fans the chance to enjoy the Courtside Club at Credit Union 1 Arena. It will also serve as the program's Alzheimer's Awareness Game and the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a complimentary wallet designed to attach to the back of phones.
 
TICKETS AND MORE
Tickets for all UIC home basketball games can be purchased online through Ticketmaster and UICFlames.com/Tickets, as well as through the UIC Athletics Ticket Office (312-413-UIC1) or by visiting the Credit Union 1 Arena box office on game night.
 
Passes to enjoy the Courtside Club at Credit Union 1 Arena for select UIC women's basketball home games (Jan. 14 vs. Drake; Jan. 21 vs. Illinois State; Feb. 4 vs. Valparaiso) are now on sale. Club members will receive a number of perks including early arena access, unlimited refreshments (including complimentary beer and wine) and a private lounge space with flat-screen televisions and theater-style furniture.
 
For more information or to purchase Courtside Club passes (single-game or three-game pack), contact the UIC Athletics Ticket office (312-413-8421; athleticsticketing@uic.edu) or send a request through the Courtside Club page at UICFlames.com. Passes may also be purchased on game days through the Credit Union 1 Arena box office or the Courtside Club entrance located on the event level.
 
FOLLOW THE FLAMES
For more information on UIC women's basketball, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_WBB and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_wbb and @uicflames).