CHICAGO (Jan. 12, 2026) – UIC graduate student forward Abdul Momoh (Carteret, N.J./The Patrick School/Central Connecticut State) has been selected as the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Newcomer of the Week, the conference announced Monday. He is the second weekly conference award winner of the 2025-26 season for the Flames along with junior guard/forward Mekhi Lowery, who earned the same Newcomer of the Week honor on Nov. 24.
 
Momoh averaged 11.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game with a .786 field-goal percentage last week in helping UIC pick up its first two MVC wins of the season over Southern Illinois and on the road at No. 7 (Mid-Major) Illinois State. The highlight of Momoh's week came in last Saturday's overtime win at Illinois State (UIC's third in a row at ISU), where Momoh finished with a game-high 15 points on a season-best 7-of-9 shooting and added six rebounds. During the Flames' Jan. 7 win over SIU (their first in the regular season since 2009), Momoh contributed eight points (4-5 FG) and four rebounds while holding the Salukis to their lowest point total ever in the 18-game series with UIC.
 
For the season, Momoh ranks fourth in the MVC in blocked shots (1.53 bpg.), having recorded multiple blocks in eight games, while adding 7.9 points per game on a .629 field-goal percentage. The New Jersey native has been even sharper in conference play, ranking second in the Valley in field-goal percentage (.696) and offensive rebounds (2.83 orpg.), as well as seventh in blocks (1.17 bpg.), and leads the Flames in scoring during MVC play (11.3 ppg.).
 
UIC (7-10, 2-4 MVC) winds up a two-game conference road swing Tuesday night when the Flames travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for a 6 p.m. (CT) matchup at Northern Iowa. Tuesday's game will be televised 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. Live stats will also be available through UICFlames.com.
 
The Flames then return home Saturday (Jan. 17) to take on Drake at 2 p.m. (CT) on what will be '80s Day at Credit Union 1 Arena. UIC faculty and staff can also obtain up to nine complimentary tickets for Saturday's game by bringing their University ID to the Credit Union 1 Arena box office on game day.
 
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.
 
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).