THE SERIES BREAKDOWN

• This will mark the seventh all-time matchup between UIC and Murray State in a series the Racers lead 4-2.

• MSU has won the three prior matchups in Murray, most recently on Jan. 2, 2024, by an 85-73 final.

• This is the second of two meetings between the Flames and Racers this season. Back on Jan. 15 in Chicago, UIC earned a hard-fought 97-93 double-overtime win behind 30 points from Javon Jackson and 21 points from Tyem Freeman.

• UIC and Murray State were two of the three new additions (along with Belmont) to join the Missouri Valley Conference in 2022-23.

MORE ON MURRAY STATE

• Murray State returned to the win column on Saturday with a 74-56 victory at Valparaiso, completing a season sweep of the Beacons.

• Senior guard JaCobi Wood leads the Racers in scoring (13.3 ppg.) and assists (4.9 apg.), the latter also third in the Valley. Senior guard AJ Ferguson is second on the team in scoring (12.1 ppg.) and tops in rebounding/17th in the MVC (5.3 rpg.).

• Head coach Steve Prohm is in the third season of his second stint at Murray State. He is 145-77 (.653) in seven years at MSU, and has a 13-year career mark of 242-172 (.585).

GAME #24 RECAP - SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

• Graduate student guard Tyem Freeman and sophomore guard Ahmad Henderson II each scored a team-high 12 points, but UIC struggled through an uncharacteristically poor shooting day in falling at Southern Illinois, 79-67, on Saturday.

• Freeman added a team-high five rebounds for UIC, which was 6-of-24 from three-point range after coming into the game among the Valley leaders in three-point percentage and three-pointers made per game. The Flames did battle for the full 40 minutes and got as close as the final 12-point margin, thanks in part to some gritty play from their bench, which wound up accounting for 39 points on the day.

NOTING THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS GAME

• This marked just the second time in the last 14 matchups between UIC and Southern Illinois that the game wasn't decided by 10 points or fewer. Coincidentally, the other time was on the Flames' last visit to Carbondale, which likewise resulted in a 12-point win for the Salukis (62-50 on Dec. 30, 2023).

• It was just the second time in UIC's last 14 games it shot lower than 30 percent from the three-point line (.087 in a 61-60 last-second loss to Bradley on Jan. 11 at Credit Union 1 Arena).

• That Bradley game was also the only other time the Flames haven't reached the 70-point mark in MVC play this year.

• UIC finished with 12 steals, their highest total against a Division I opponent and the sixth time overall this year that the Flames have had double-digit steals (they had 14 against St. Francis-Ill. on Nov. 4 and Saint Mary's-Minn. on Nov. 16, both at Credit Union 1 Arena).

• UIC's 39 bench points were its fourth-highest output by the reserves this season and most since Nov. 22 against La Salle, when the Flames' second unit scored 42 points in a 96-83 win over the Explorers at the Boardwalk Battle in Daytona Beach, Fla.

CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARDS

• Sophomore forward Saša Ciani leads the MVC in rebounding (8.2 rpg.) and double-doubles (7), while ranking second in offensive rebounds (2.8 orpg.) and defensive rebounds (5.4 drpg.).

• As a team, UIC is tops in the Valley in rebounding (37.1 rpg.) and offensive rebounds (11.0 orpg.), as well as second in the MVC in rebound margin (+4.2 rpg.).

• 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 (12.9 ppg.), Ahmad Henderson II (11.9), Jordan Mason (10.9), Saša Ciani (10.9) and Tyem Freeman (10.7) — 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 week's action in the conference.

• UIC has had at least four double-digit scorers in 15 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.

• Half (12) of UIC's 24 games this season have been decided by single digits, including nine of 14 MVC games.

• The Flames are 6-6 in games decided by single digits, with a 4-5 mark in MVC play.

• No less than 14 of UIC's last 16 games have been decided by 12 points or fewer (the exceptions both coming on the road - 80-63 at Missouri State on Jan. 7; 93-70 at Bradley on Jan. 29).

• Five of UIC's last six losses have been by five points or fewer, and in each case, the Flames had a possession to tie or retake the lead inside the final 2:00.

• 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 Tuesday's game, UIC has an average opponent NET ranking of 101, which is the highest in the Valley.

• UIC is 7-3 on the road this year, tying for the most road wins in the MVC. In conference play, the Flames are 5-2, tied for third-most wins in the Valley.

• The Flames are 2-0 against schools earning votes in the Associated Press poll with victories over Drake on Jan. 1 and at Bradley on Jan. 29.

• 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 are 4-1 against current Quad 2 opponents this season — wins on Nov. 13 vs. Yale, Dec. 29 at Illinois State, Jan. 1 vs. Drake, Jan. 29 at Bradley; only Q2 loss was 92-87 at Belmont on Jan. 4.

• UIC nearly claimed a Quad 1 win at Northwestern on Nov. 12 (trailed 74-70 with 1:20 left; lost 83-74).

• 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 12 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 16 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: MISSOURI STATE

• UIC heads into the final quarter of the MVC regular season this weekend, beginning with a 2 p.m. (CT) Sunday matinee against Missouri State at Credit Union 1 Arena. The Flames will be holding their annual Coaches vs. Cancer Game, as well as welcoming back approximately 40 UIC men's basketball alums from throughout the program's storied history.

• Missouri State (8-17, 1-13 MVC) has won once since the Christmas break, a 77-56 win over visiting Murray State on Feb. 1. The Bears play host to Evansville on Wednesday before heading to the Windy City this weekend.

• The Flames are 5-17 all-time against Missouri State, picking up their first win over the Bears since 2001 (and first-ever in Springfield) with an 80-63 victory on Jan. 7.

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.