PEORIA, Ill. (Jan. 29, 2025) — UIC's junior guard tandem of
Javon Jackson (Houston, Texas/C.E. King/Southern Nazarene/Utah State) and
Jordan Mason (San Antonio, Texas/Clark/Texas State) combined for 47 points as the Flames rode an incredible 41-14 run to end the first half and never looked back in blowing out Missouri Valley Conference leader Bradley on the road, 93-70, Wednesday night at Carver Arena in Peoria, Ill. It was the first win in nine career visits to Peoria for UIC (14-7, 7-4 MVC) and the most points ever scored by a visiting MVC team in Carver Arena, and it came at the expense of a Bradley squad (18-4, 9-2) that was ranked No. 4 in this week's College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll and was receiving votes in the Associated Press poll.
Jackson poured in a game-high 25 points (including 4-of-6 from three-point range) and tied his career high with five steals, while Mason added a well-balanced line with 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, making 8-of-12 shots, including both of his long-range tries. Sophomore guard
Ahmad Henderson II (Chicago, Ill./Brother Rice/Niagara) chalked up 17 points and three steals, while redshirt senior
Modestas Kancleris (Kaunas, Lithuania/Varpas Gimnazija/Creighton/Cal State Bakersfield) finished one rebound shy of a double-double for the second time in three games, ending up with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Collectively, UIC lived up to its nickname with a flaming-hot shooting performance from beyond the arc, making a season-high 14 three-pointers. The Flames would ultimately end up with the rare 50-40-90 team shooting night, topping 50 percent overall (.531), 40 percent from three-point country (.519) and 90 percent from the foul line (.917), the first time since 2006 that UIC has posted a 50-40-90 game. The Flames also committed just seven turnovers in the contest and did not have a single giveaway in the first half.
The full box score and play-by-play recap from Wednesday night's win at Bradley can be found
here.
COACH'S COMMENTS
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- UIC posted its largest-ever margin of victory in an MVC game since joining the conference in 2022-23, supplanting an 80-63 win at Missouri State on Jan. 7. It's the Flames' largest win in any regular-season conference game (home or road)Â since Feb. 16, 2020, when UIC earned a 73-43 Horizon League victory at Northern Kentucky.
- UIC collected its first Quad 1 win of the season to go along with a pair of Quad 2 victories,
- UIC is 2-0 this season against teams who were receiving votes in the AP poll at tipoff (Drake was nearly in the AP Top 25 when the Flames defeated the Bulldogs, 74-70 on New Year's Day at Credit Union 1 Arena).
- The Flames are the only MVC team that has wins over Bradley and Drake this season.
- UIC is 3-2 this year against programs ranked in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The Flames have wins over No. 1 Drake (74-70 at home on Jan. 1), No. 4 Bradley (93-70 on the road Wednesday night) and No. 13 Yale (91-79 at home on Nov. 8).
- UIC topped the 90-point mark for the sixth time this season and the second time in MVC play (also the 97-93 double-overtime win over Murray State on Jan. 15).
- This was the most points the Flames have scored in a regulation road game since Jan. 19, 2002 (a 99-80 win at the institution now known as Purdue Fort Wayne). It's also the most points UIC has scored in a regulation conference road game since Feb. 19, 1998 (a 96-72 Horizon League win at Cleveland State).
- UIC recorded the most points ever by a visiting MVC team at Bradley's Carver Arena.
- The Flames snapped Bradley's 20-game winning streak against schools from the state of Illinois.
- UIC earned its third all-time win over Bradley (first in Peoria) and first at any location since Nov. 17. 2018 (a 71-70 decision in Chicago).
- The Flames' 55-point first half marked the first 50-point half by a Bradley opponent since Feb. 18, 2021, when Illinois State scored 53 in a half.
- UIC had two 20-point scorers in a game for the second time this month, having also done that in a 97-93 double-overtime win over Murray State on Jan. 15 at Credit Union 1 Arena (Jackson - 30 points; Tyem Freeman - 21 points).
- Jackson's five steals not only tied his career high (Nov. 4 vs. St. Francis-Ill. at Credit Union 1 Arena), but also were the most by a Bradley opposing player since Feb. 23, 2022, when Missouri State's Lu'cye Patterson also had five thefts.
- Mason tied his season high with seven assists and finished one point shy of his season scoring high, both marks he posted in the Flames' loss to Southern Illinois last Saturday (23 points/7 assists).
- UIC (.531Â FG%, .519 3FG%, .917 FT%) posted its first 50-40-90 team shooting game since Feb. 28, 2006, vs. Wright State (.500 FG%, .438 3FG%, .966 FT%).
UP NEXT
UIC is back home for its next two MVC games, starting at 2 p.m. (CT) Saturday when the Flames play host to Indiana State at Credit Union 1 Arena. Fans can purchase their tickets online through Ticketmaster andÂ
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 day. Doors open an hour before first tip. If you can't make it to Credit Union 1 Arena, ESPN+ will televise the game and you can hear the free live radio call on the Flames Network at
UICFlames.com.
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).
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