• This will be the first-ever meeting between UIC and Arkansas-Pine Bluff in any sport.
• The Golden Lions are the second of two first-time opponents on the Flames' 2025-26 schedule. Back on Nov. 20, UIC met High Point for the first time in the opening round of the Geico Boardwalk Battle in Daytona Beach, Fla. (HPU pulled out a 90-80 win over the Flames).
• UIC is 2-0 all-time against schools from the state of Arkansas, defeating Little Rock in a home-and-home series the past two seasons. In 2023, the Flames posted an 86-71 win over the Trojans at Credit Union 1 Arena. Last year, UIC claimed a 77-69 overtime victory at Little Rock, erasing a seven-point deficit in the final 30 seconds of regulation to force the extra session.

• Arkansas-Pine Bluff has been a band of road warriors this season, playing all eight of its contests away from home thus far, including a season-opening West Coast swing to Washington, Portland and Loyola Marymount.
• The Golden Lions have visited four power conference schools so far this season (Washington, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and SMU) and will play at DePaul on Saturday.
• UAPB hasn't played since before Thanksgiving (Nov. 23), when it dropped a 111-84 decision at Miami (Ohio).
• UTSA transfer Jaquan Scott leads the Golden Lions in scoring (15.9 ppg.) and rebounding (7.0 rpg.) while Abilene Christian transfer Quion Williams is second in both categories (14.8 ppg., 6.5 rpg.) and tops in assists (3.9 apg.).
• Head coach Solomon Bozeman is in his fifth season at UAPB with a 36-96 record. Previously an assistant coach at Oral Roberts when the Golden Eagles reached the 2021 NCAA Sweet Sixteen, Wednesday will mark his first-ever head coaching matchup with UIC.

NOTING THE FLAMES

• Wednesday's game is a brief pit stop at home for UIC, which is in the midst of playing eight of its first 12 contests away from home. After facing UAPB, the Flames head back on the road for three of their next four prior to the Christmas holiday break.
• UIC's dynamic freshman guard duo of Andy Johnson and Rashund Washington Jr. ranks second and third on the team in scoring this year, combining to average over 24 points per game (Johnson - 14.9 ppg./tops among all Missouri Valley Conference freshmen; Washington 9.7 ppg.). They have both scored in double figures in four games this season, including three of the past four outings (Detroit Mercy, Chicago State, High Point, Robert Morris).
• Graduate student Abdul Momoh has been a strong rim protector for the Flames this season, leading the MVC in blocks (1.86 bpg.) and recording multiple blocked shots in four games, including three of his last four (highlighted by a season-best four swats on Nov. 20 against High Point).
• UIC has looked sharp against its fellow Chicagoland schools across all sports during the 2025-26 academic year. Thus far, Flames teams are 10-0-2 against Windy City opponents this year (3-0 volleyball; 3-0-1 men's soccer; 2-0 men's basketball; 1-0-1 women's soccer; 1-0 women's basketball), the best intracity record by any of Chicago's Division I schools.
• On Nov. 11 against St. Francis, the Flames shot a sizzling 65.1 percent from the floor (its best since Jan. 29, 2005 - .667 at Butler) and 66.7 percent from three-point range (best since Nov. 23, 2011 - .692 vs. Evansville), assisting on 29 of their 41 field goals and fueled by a second-half barrage that saw the Flames shoot .697 from the field and make all four of their three-point tries. UIC was equally prolific at the defensive end, coming up with 17 steals, the most for a Flames' squad in nearly 11 years (also 17 steals on Dec. 30, 2014, vs. Judson).
• UIC's 76-73 loss at Oregon State on Nov. 7 was the Flames' closest call against a power conference opponent since an 80-75 win at BIG EAST member DePaul on Dec. 14, 2016.
• UIC's last three matchups with power-conference schools have all been road losses decided by 11 points or fewer — 69-58 at Cincinnati in 2023, 83-74 at Northwestern in 2024, and 76-73 at Oregon State earlier this year.
• UIC's 13 steals at OSU were the most it had recorded against a Division I opponent since Nov. 16, 2016, when it also had 13 thefts in an 86-78 win over UTSA at Credit Union 1 Arena.
• Ahmad Henderson's career-high seven steals at OSU were the most by a UIC player since Jan. 9, 2013, when Daniel Barnes had eight steals in a 75-70 loss to Valparaiso.
• Rob Ehsan is the first UIC head coach in 40 years to win his first two season openers as the Flames' skipper (the last to do so was Willie Little in 1983-84 and 1984-85).
• On Nov. 13, UIC announced the signing of Dikembe Shaw, a 6-7 forward from Crown Point, Ind., to a National Letter of Intent to join the Flames starting in 2026-27. Shaw was an all-state selection and Indiana Junior All-Star pick last year while attending Crown Point High School, averaging 16.2 ppg., 6.7 rpg., 3.4 apg. and 1.3 spg., while helping the Bulldogs to a 24-2 record and a berth in the Indiana Class 4A semistate final. He also averaged 12.9 ppg. and 5.9 rpg. during the summer 2025 club season while competing for Indiana Elite 3SSB (3Stripes Select Basketball).