THE SERIES BREAKDOWN

• UIC and Northern Iowa will be squaring off for the 27th time in what has been a closely-contested series, with the Panthers holding a slim 14-12 edge all-time against the Flames.

• Since UIC joined the MVC prior to the 2022-23 season, three of the four matchups between the schools have been single-digit margins.

• The teams met earlier this season on Dec. 4 at Credit Union 1 Arena, with a hot-shooting UNI winning 83-56. In the loss, UIC sophomore forward Saša Ciani grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds (most by a Valley player this season).

• UIC and Northern Iowa previously shared membership in the Association of Mid-Continent Universities/Mid-Continent Conference (now known as the Summit League) from 1981-82 to 1990-91, meeting on average twice annually during that span. Between that conference affiliation and their current MVC membership, the schools have met 25 times under the same conference banner, with Northern Iowa holding a 14-11 series lead over UIC.

MORE ON NORTHERN IOWA

• Ranked No. 24 in this week's College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll, UNI is tied for second in the Valley entering the final week of the regular season. The Panthers had their season-high six-game winning streak snapped Sunday with a 64-58 overtime loss at home to Drake.

• Senior guard/forward Tytan Anderson ranks among the top 10 in the MVC in scoring (15.6 ppg.), rebounding (6.6 rpg.) and field-goal percentage (.583). Senior center Jacob Hutson is second on the team in scoring (11.7 ppg.), followed by junior guard Trey Campbell (11.6 ppg.), who is fourth in the MVC in three-point percentage (.438) and went 5-for-5 in the earlier matchup against UIC.

• Now in his 19th season at UNI, head coach Ben Jacobson is the winningest coach in MVC history (208 conference victories). He is 4-3 all-time against UIC.

GAME #28 RECAP - EVANSVILLE

• Redshirt senior forward Modestas Kancleris scored a season-high 18 points and added a game-high 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season, helping lift UIC to an 82-77 win over Evansville Saturday at Credit Union 1 Arena. The Flames used an 18-2 run over a seven-minute span down the stretch to regain control after leading by as many as 10 points in the first half.

• A pair of UIC sophomores — forward Saša Ciani and guard Ahmad Henderson II — each scored 13 points, with Ciani grabbing seven rebounds and Henderson going a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line. Graduate student guard Tyem Freeman completed a quartet of Flames in double figures with 11 points, while junior guard Jordan Mason delivered a balanced line with eight points, six rebounds and a career-high nine assists.

NOTING THE EVANSVILLE GAME

• At 16-12, UIC is poised to finish at or above .500 for the first time since 2019-20, when the Flames went 18-17.

• UIC's nine conference wins are the most it has had since 2021-22 (9-10 in the Horizon League).

• Kancleris surpassed his previous season high of 13 points (three times, including the past two games) and finished just two points off his career high set on Nov. 22, 2022, vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi when he was at Cal State Bakersfield.

• Kancleris has scored in double figures in the past four games and earned his career-high third double-double of the season (second in four games after 12 points/10 rebounds at Murray State on Feb. 11).

• Mason's nine assists topped his previous career high of eight against LeTourneau on Dec. 18, 2023, while he was attending Texas State.

• Henderson's 10-of-10 effort at the foul line was the best by a UIC player since Feb. 3, 2024 (11-11 by Isaiah Rivera against Southern Illinois at Credit Union 1 Arena).

BALANCE IS KEY

• UIC has five players posting double-figure scoring averages this season — Javon Jackson (12.4 ppg.), Ahmad Henderson II (11.5), Tyem Freeman (10.5), Jordan Mason (10.2) and Saša Ciani (10.2) — with two others logging over eight points per game in Filip Škobalj (8.6 ppg.) and Modestas Kancleris (8.4 ppg.). 

• Wednesday's opponent, UNI, is the only other school in the Valley with five double-figure scorers entering this week's action in the conference.

• The Flames have seen eight different players lead the team in scoring at least once this season.

• UIC has had at least four double-digit scorers in 16 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 (14) of UIC's 28 games this season have been decided by single digits, including 11 of 18 MVC games.

• The Flames are 8-6 in games decided by single digits, with a 6-5 mark in MVC play.

• No less than 17 of UIC's last 20 games have been decided by 12 points or fewer (the exceptions all coming on the road - 80-63 win at Missouri State on Jan. 7; 93-70 win at Bradley on Jan. 29; 74-57 loss at Drake on Feb. 19).

• Five of UIC's last eight 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 this week, UIC has an average opponent NET ranking of 110, which is third-highest in the Valley.

• UIC is 7-5 on the road this year, third-most in the Valley, including a 5-4 road mark in MVC play (fourth in the conference).

• 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 3-3 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). As of this week, all three of those teams are in the top 10 in the Mid-Major Top 25 (Drake-3; Yale-4; Bradley-10).

• The Flames are 4-0 against current Quad 2 opponents this season, winning on Nov. 13 vs. Yale, Dec. 29 at Illinois State, Jan. 1 vs. Drake and Jan. 29 at Bradley.

• 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 on last year's wins 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 13 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 17 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: VALPARAISO

• The 2024-25 regular season comes to a close Sunday when the Flames play host to Valparaiso at 2 p.m. (CT) at Credit Union 1 Arena. The game will be televised live on ESPN+ and broadcast globally on the Flames Network at UICFlames.com.

• Prior to Sunday's game, UIC will celebrate Senior Day with a special ceremony. Fans are encouraged to arrive by 1:40 p.m. to help recognize the Flames' seniors.

• Like UIC, Valparaiso (13-16, 6-12 MVC) is in the midst of a bounceback season. The Beacons, who have nearly doubled their win total from last year, welcome Bradley on Wednesday in their home finale before coming to Chicago this weekend.

• The Flames are 34-28 all-time against Valparaiso and have won five of the past seven matchups with the Beacons, including an 81-74 decision back on Jan. 18 at Valparaiso.

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.