THE SERIES BREAKDOWN

• UIC and Indiana State will meet for the seventh time, with the Sycamores leading the all-time series, 5-1 following wins in all four MVC matchups since UIC joined the conference in 2022-23.

• Of the two meetings last year, the one in Chicago was a tense affair with 18 lead changes, 13 ties and neither side leading by more than six points the entire way before Indiana State pulled out an 89-83 decision.

• Prior to their four series meetings in MVC play, UIC and Indiana State played a home-and-home series in 2001 and 2002, splitting those two encounters with each side successfully defending its home court (UIC 70-54 on Nov. 18, 2001; ISU 73-54 on Dec. 23, 2002).

MORE ON INDIANA STATE

• Indiana State (10-12, 4-7 MVC) is the reigning MVC regular-season champion and advanced to the NIT championship game last spring.

• The Sycamores snapped a six-game losing streak Wednesday with a 72-67 home win over Missouri State.

• Senior guard Samage Teel leads ISU in scoring (16.4 ppg.) and assists (4.5 apg.), while sophomore forward Jaden Daughtry adds 13.0 points per game and graduate student forward Aaron Gray chips in a team-high 5.2 rebounds per game.

• Matthew Graves is in his first season as head coach at Indiana State after three years as the top assistant in Terre Haute. He also led the South Alabama program for five seasons (2013-18) and has a 75-108 (.410) career record.

GAME #21 RECAP - BRADLEY

• UIC's junior guard tandem of Javon Jackson and Jordan Mason 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 MVC leader Bradley on the road, 93-70, Wednesday night at Carver Arena. Bradley 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 (4-of-6 from three-point range) and tied his career high with five steals, while Mason added 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Sophomore guard Ahmad Henderson II chalked up 17 points and three steals, while redshirt senior Modestas Kancleris finished with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

NOTING THE BRADLEY GAME

• 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) since Feb. 16, 2020, when UIC earned a 73-43 Horizon League victory at Northern Kentucky.

• 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.

• 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 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).

• UIC (.531 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%).

CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARDS

• Sophomore forward Saša Ciani leads the MVC in rebounding (8.8 rpg.; 42nd in NCAA), as well as defensive rebounding (5.72 drpg.) and double-doubles (7; 40th in NCAA).

• As a team, UIC is tops in the Valley in rebounding (38.0 rpg.) and offensive rebounds (11.19 orpg.), as well as second in the MVC in rebound margin (+5.8 rpg.; 39th in NCAA).

• UIC grabbed 21 offensive rebounds in the Dec. 15 win at Little Rock, its highest total on the offensive glass since Jan. 8, 2017, when the Flames had 24 offensive boards in a 58-57 home loss to Oakland.

BALANCE IS KEY

• UIC currently has five players posting double-figure scoring averages this season — Javon Jackson (13.5 ppg.), Ahmad Henderson II (11.8), Jordan Mason (11.4), Saša Ciani (11.2) and Tyem Freeman (10.2) — with a sixth just outside double figures (Filip Škobalj at 9.3).

• No other school in the MVC has five double-figure scorers entering this weekend's action in the conference.

• UIC has had at least four double-digit scorers in 14 games this season. The Flames had a season-high six in their Dec. 20 road win at Seattle U., the  most for UIC in a single game since March 2018.

HEART STOPPERS

• Following the advice of CBS college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, Flames fans have been prepared to "grab their nitroglycerin pills" a lot this season.

• Nearly half (10) of UIC's 21 games this season have been decided by single digits, including seven of 11 conference games.

• The Flames are 6-4 in games decided by single digits, with a 4-3 mark in MVC play.

• UIC is 3-0 in overtime games this year, the second-most OT wins in a season in program history (five in 2005-06).

• The Flames have won their last four overtime games, dating back to last year's MVC Tournament (84-82 double-overtime win over Southern Illinois in the first round), with the 2005-06 season the last time UIC won four or more consecutive OT contests.

POTENT NOTABLES

• Entering Saturday's game, UIC has an average opponent NET ranking of 98, which is the highest in the Valley.

• UIC is 3-2 this season against teams ranked in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll (wins over No. 13 Yale on Nov. 18, No. 1 Drake on Jan. 1 and at No. 4 Bradley on Jan. 29; five-point loss at No. 20 Belmont on Jan. 4; one-point loss vs. No. 2 Bradley on Jan. 11).

• The Flames have four wins over NET Top 80 teams under their belt (Nov. 13 vs. Yale, Dec. 29 at Illinois State, Jan. 1 vs. Drake, Jan. 29 at Bradley), with the Bradley victory a Quad 1 win and the Illinois State and Drake triumphs being Quad 2 wins.

• UIC nearly claimed another Quad 1 win at Northwestern on Nov. 12 (trailed 74-70 with 1:20 left; lost 83-74) and two other Quad 2 victories — at Belmont on Jan. 4 (UIC's game-tying 3FG attempt with :07 left spun in and out; lost 92-87) and at home vs. Bradley on Jan. 11 (led for nearly all of final 36 minutes before a last-second three-pointer; lost 61-60).

• With its Nov. 22 win over La Salle at the Boardwalk Battle, UIC collected its third victory over an Atlantic 10 Conference opponent in the past two seasons, following up last year's victories over Loyola and George Washington.

• UIC has knocked down at least 10 three-pointers in 11 games this year, including a season-high 14 at Bradley on Jan. 29.

• The Flames have scored at least 80 points 11 times this season and topped the 90-point mark on six occasions.

• This season marked the first time in the 78-year history of the UIC men's basketball program that it had four 90-point outings in its first six games.

• UIC has shot 45 percent or better in 15 games this year, and over 50 percent 10 times (season-high 60.0 percent on Nov. 16 against Saint Mary's-Minn.).

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES

• There are a lot of new faces in Sparky's camp this season, as UIC welcomes 11 newcomers to its roster, including eight transfers (all from Division I programs).

• Three of those arrivals bring with them playing experience in the NCAA Tournament from their prior stops — Javon Jackson (Utah State), Modestas Kancleris (Creighton) and Joshua Reaves (Mount St. Mary's).

• Among the new arrivals to Chicago's College Team are junior guard Jordan Mason (9.4 ppg. in two years at Texas State), graduate guard Joshua Reaves (7.5 ppg. and a .368 3FG% in four years at Mount St. Mary's), junior guard Javon Jackson (10.5 ppg. in two years at Southern Nazarene and Utah State) and sophomore guard Ahmad Henderson II (11.2 ppg. in one year at Niagara).

• UIC's roster has a distinct international flair with four European student-athletes — senior forward Filip Škobalj (Belgrade, Serbia), Kancleris (Kaunas, Lithuania), sophomore forward Saša Ciani (Nova Gorica, Slovenia) and freshman Iker Garmendia (Barcelona, Spain).

• The last time UIC had four international players on its roster was the 2020-21 season — Škobalj (Serbia), Jamie Ahale (Australia), Marcus Larsson (Norway) and Jalen Warren (Canada).

UP NEXT: ILLINOIS STATE

• UIC winds up a brief two-game MVC homestand Wednesday when it plays host to Illinois State at 7 p.m. (CT) at Credit Union 1 Arena. ESPN+ will televise the game live and the free Flames Network broadcast can be heard at UICFlames.com with Jonathan Hood and Kenny Williams describing the action.

• Illinois State (13-9, 5-6 MVC) is looking sharp, having won three of their last four and coming off a last-second win over Belmont. The Redbirds are at home Saturday to take on Valparaiso before heading to UIC next week.

• The Flames are 11-19 all-time against Illinois State and have won the past two meetings in the series, including a 73-67 decision back on Dec. 29 in Normal.

THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN

• Tickets for all UIC basketball home games may be purchased online through Ticketmaster or UICFlames.com/Tickets, by contacting the UIC Athletics Ticket Office (312-413-UIC1; athleticsticketing@uic.edu) or visiting the Credit Union 1 Arena box office on game night.

• Fans can also purchase passes for the US Solar Courtside Club at Credit Union 1 Arena through the UIC Athletics Ticket Office or the arena box office.