NORMAL, Ill. (Dec. 29, 2024) — Sophomore forward
Sasa Ciani (Nova Gorica, Slovenia/Koder School/Xavier) scored 14 of his career-high 16 points in the second half and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds as UIC (8-4, 1-1 MVC) settled in after an early 12-point deficit and charged past Illinois State, 73-67, in a Missouri Valley Conference matchup Sunday afternoon at CEFCU Arena in Normal, Ill. The Flames, who extended their winning streak to a season-best four games (the last three coming on the road), finished with four players scoring in double figures for the seventh time this season and posted their biggest comeback victory of the young 2024-25 campaign.
Junior guard
Javon Jackson (Houston, Texas/C.E. King/Southern Nazarene/Utah State) scored 14 points, sophomore guard
Ahmad Henderson II (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice/Niagara) chipped in with 12 points and graduate student guard
Tyem Freeman (Springfield, Mo./Hillcrest/UCF/Kent State) added 10 points off the bench, including two clutch three-pointers 36 seconds apart early in the second half to spark the UIC rally.
As a unit, the Flames shot 46.2 percent from the field, including a sharp .471 (8-of-17) from three-point range and held the Redbirds, who were ranked third in the nation in three-point percentage (.418) at tipoff, to a 23.1 percent (6-of-26) efficiency from beyond the arc, including 2-of-11 in the second half.
The full box score and play-by-play recap from Sunday's win at Illinois State can be found
here.
Â
COACH'S COMMENTS
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- UIC registered its largest comeback victory of the season, surpassing its 10-point rally at Little Rock on Dec. 15, when the Flames posted a 77-69 overtime win. The 12-point comeback was also UIC's largest in a win since Feb. 10, 2022, when the Flames erased a trio of 15-point deficits in the first half of a 76-75 victory at Cleveland State.
- UIC is 11-19 all-time against Illinois State and wins on back-to-back trips to Normal for only the second time in series history (first since 2002 and 2004), following last year's 61-56 win at CEFCU Arena.
- The Flames have also won back-to-back series games against the Redbirds (at any location) for the second time in series history (first since a four-game series win streak that started in 1999 and continued from 2002-04).
- The UIC-Illinois State series is one of the more closely contested rivalries in the 78-year history of Flames basketball, with 20 of the 30 series matchups decided by 10 points or fewer, including the past six (and all five since UIC joined the Missouri Valley Conference prior to the 2022-23 season). In addition, 11 of the 17 series games played in Normal have been decided by 10 points or fewer, including the past five that each featured margins of six points or fewer (one going to OT).
- The Flames had four double-digit scorers for the seventh time this season.
- UIC shot better than 45 percent from the floor for the eighth time this year.
- The Flames posted their fourth win this season when trailing at halftime (4-4 record).
- UIC is 7-1 this season when making at least seven three-pointers (eight at Illinois State) and 7-1 when shooting 35 percent or better from the three-point line (.471 at ISU).Â
UP NEXT
UIC will play its only home game in a month-long span on New Year's Day, when it welcomes Drake to Credit Union 1 Arena for a 2 p.m. (CT) matinee. The game will be televised live on ESPN+ and also broadcast free of charge on the Flames Network at
UICFlames.com.Â
FOLLOW THE FLAMES
For more information on UIC men's basketball, fans are encouraged to visit
UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (
@UIC_MBB and
@UICFlames) and Instagram (
@uic_mbb and
@uicflames).
Â
