NASHVILLE — UIC graduate student guard Josiah Hammons torched the nets for a career-high 31 points, including 8-of-16 three-pointers, but his bid for a ninth (and school record-tying) triple with one second left was just off the mark as No. 5 (Mid-Major) Belmont edged the Flames, 87-84 on Saturday afternoon in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both schools at the Curb Event Center in Nashville. It was the second of three consecutive top-10 mid-major opponents for UIC and the third of at least four in the Flames' first 10 games this season.
Hammons led four players in double figures for UIC (4-6, 0-1), with freshman guard Andy Johnson scoring 17 points (career-high 8-8 FT) and a career-high five assists, fellow rookie backcourter Rashund Washington Jr. adding 11 points (career-high 3-5 3FG) and graduate student forward Abdul Momoh chipping with 10 points. As a team, the Flames connected on 13-of-32 three-pointers (40.6 percent) and were a spotless 13-of-13 at the foul line, their first perfect free throw shooting performance (with a minimum of 10 attempts) since 2013.
The full box score and play-by-play recap from Saturday's game at Belmont can be found here.
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Three of UIC's six losses have been decided by three points or fewer and all saw the Flames with the final possession and a chance to tie or win the game.
- Four of the six series games between UIC and Belmont have been decided by single digits, including the past two (both of which were played in Nashville - 92-87 last year, when the Flames also had a look at a game-tying three-pointer in the closing seconds that didn't fall and the Bruins made two foul shots to complete the scoring).
- UIC's 13-for-13 free throw percentage was its best showing at the foul line since Jan. 9, 2013, when the Flames shot a school-record 18-of-18 from the stripe against Valparaiso.
- The Flames' 13 three-pointers were a season high and the most by UIC since Jan. 29, 2025 (14 at Bradley).
- Hammons' 31 points were the most by a UIC player in a game since Feb. 28, 2024, when Toby Okani had 31 points in a triple-overtime loss to Drake at Credit Union 1 Arena. Hammons' performance was the highest-scoring regulation outing by a Flames' player since Nov. 23, 2016, when Dikembe Dixson scored 32 points in a loss to Elon at the NIU Thanksgiving Classic in DeKalb, Ill.
- Hammons' previous career high was 26 points against McNeese on Jan. 20, 2024, when he was attending Incarnate Word.
- Hammons' eight three-pointers were a career high (previous: seven vs. McNeese on Jan. 20, 2024) and one off the UIC school record for threes in a game (nine by Brian Hill against Western Michigan on Dec. 1, 1990). Hammon's eight treys were the most by a UIC player in a game since Dec. 19, 2021, when Jamie Ahale made eight against Oakland.
- Hammons tied the UIC school record with a career-high 16 three-point attempts, matching the mark first set by Cedrick Banks against Wright State on Feb. 23, 2005.
- Graduate student guard Tai Walters-Whitaker played a season-high 14 minutes and posted season bests of four points and three assists.
UP NEXT: NORTHERN IOWA
UIC will host UNI next Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. (CT) in the opener of a doubleheader at Credit Union 1 Arena. The game (as well as the following UIC women's basketball game vs. DePaul at 7 p.m. CT) will be televised live on Marquee Sports Network and ESPN+, and can also be heard worldwide free of charge on the Flames Network atÂ
UICFlames.com. It will be the program's annual Ugly Sweater Night and Teddy Bear Toss, with fans invited to bring a stuffed animal to the game for either a discounted men's basketball ticket ($10 each) or a free women's basketball ticket (general admission). The stuffed animals will then be tossed onto the court at halftime and collected for donation to local charities — fans may also purchase a pre-wrapped stuffed animal that will be donated directly to pediatric patients through UI Health.
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
UIC basketball season and single-game tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster (
Men's Basketball orÂ
Women's Basketball),Â
UICFlames.com/Tickets or by contacting the UIC Athletics Ticket Office at (312) 413-UIC1 (8421) orÂ
athleticsticketing@uic.edu.Â
UIC students are admitted free for all Flames' home games.
In addition, the US Solar Courtside Club is open for each game at Credit Union 1 Arena, with Club passes available for purchase through the UIC Athletics Ticket Office or at the Courtside Club entrance on game nights. Located just steps away from the action on the event level at Credit Union 1 Arena, the US Solar Courtside Club provides a premium experience for all UIC basketball fans, including enhanced food and beverage options. The Club also offers luxury seating and flat-screen televisions, and fans will have earlier access to the arena through a dedicated separate gate entrance, allowing them to get a quicker start on supporting their Flames each and every night.
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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