CHICAGO — UIC junior guard/forward Mekhi Lowery scored a career-high 17 points and grabbed a team-best seven rebounds to pace five Flames in double figures as UIC returned to the win column in emphatic fashion with a wire-to-wire 102-64 victory over city foe Illinois Tech on Monday afternoon at Credit Union 1 Arena. The 102 points were the most scored by UIC (5-8) this year, helping the Flames move to a combined 12-0-2 against other Chicagoland schools across all sports during the 2025-26 season.
Graduate student forward Abdul Momoh added a season-high 17 points and six rebounds, while redshirt junior forward Ante Beljan returned from a month-long injury absence to score 16 points and grab five rebounds in 15 minutes of action. Freshman guard Andy Johnson chipped in 13 points and a career-high seven rebounds, while junior guard Ahmad Henderson II rounded out the UIC double-digit scoring quintet with 10 points.
The full box score and play-by-play recap from Monday's win over Illinois Tech can be found here.
COACH'S COMMENTS
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- UIC goes over the century mark for the second time in Rob Ehsan's two seasons as head coach and first since Nov. 16, 2024 (a 117-59 win over Saint Mary's-Minn. at Credit Union 1 Arena).
- The Flames' 50 first-half points were a season high (45 vs. St. Francis on Nov. 11), while their 52 second-half points were one off their season high for any half (53 in the second against both St. Francis and on Nov. 3 against Detroit Mercy).
- Mekhi Lowery's 17 points were a career high, surpassing his 15 points on Nov. 20 against High Point at the Boardwalk Battle in Daytona Beach, Fla.
- Abdul Momoh's 17 points were a season high and two shy of his career high of 19 points, set on Feb. 20, 2025, at Chicago State while Momoh was playing for Central Connecticut State.
- The Nov. 20 High Point game marked the last time UIC had five double-digit scorers prior to Monday afternoon.
- Graduate student guard Tai Walters-Whitaker had a career-high seven assists, three rebounds and three steals on Monday. His seven steals also tied for the second-most by a UIC player this season (Ahmad Henderson had eight dimes against St. Francis on Nov. 11).
- UIC tied its season high with 44 rebounds, first hitting that mark in the Nov. 3 season opener against Detroit Mercy.
- Andy Johnson's career-high seven rebounds topped his previous mark of five boards on Nov. 15 at Chicago State.
UP NEXT: MURRAY STATE
UIC plays back-to-back home games for the first time all season when the Flames return to Credit Union 1 Arena Thursday for an 8 p.m. (CT) New Year's matchup with Murray State. The game will air live on the MVC TV Network (which includes ESPN+, as well as several Gray Media-owned and non-Gray syndicated over-the-air stations located within the Conference's six-state footprint of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee) and the Flames Network.
Through the UIC Hoops for the Holidays promotion, fans can purchase discounted men's basketball tickets for Thursday's game either online through Ticketmaster with the promo code "HOLIDAY" or at the arena box office on game night. Thursday's game theme is "Flames Night at the Beach", including a Beach Ball Giveaway and fans encouraged to wear their favorite beach gear!
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
UIC basketball season and single-game tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster (Men's Basketball or Women's Basketball), UICFlames.com/Tickets or by contacting the UIC Athletics Ticket Office at (312) 413-UIC1 (8421) or athleticsticketing@uic.edu. 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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