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UIC Athletics

thevalley
Henderson_INST_012726
Malik Moore
68
Winner UIC UIC 13-10,8-4 MVC
66
Southern Ill. SIU 9-13,3-8 MVC
Winner
UIC UIC
13-10,8-4 MVC
68
Final
66
Southern Ill. SIU
9-13,3-8 MVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UIC UIC 25 43 68
Southern Ill. SIU 36 30 66

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Eight is Great For Men's Basketball After 68-66 Win at Southern Illinois

Flames rally from 18-point second-half deficit to extend their longest winning streak since 2012-13.

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The UIC men's basketball team has discovered numerous ways to keep its current winning streak alive and the Flames added to that list on Saturday, rallying from an 18-point second-half deficit to earn a 68-66 Missouri Valley Conference win at Southern Illinois at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill. It was the eighth consecutive victory for UIC (13-10, 8-4 MVC), the Flames' longest winning streak since the 2012-13 season, and longest conference success string (and winning streak against entirely Division I opponents) since a 12-game run during UIC's last NCAA Tournament season in 2003-04. 

Sophomore guard Elijah Crawford led the way for the Flames on Saturday night with a game-high 23 points on a career-best 9-of-15 shooting, while junior guard Ahmad Henderson II added 11 points, including the 1,000th point of his three-year collegiate career. Graduate student forward Abdul Momoh chipped in with eight points and a team-high tying seven rebounds, and came up with the biggest bucket of the night, powering through traffic for a baby hook shot in the lane with 50 seconds to play that gave UIC the lead for good, as the Flames closed the game on a 14-2 run over the final six minutes (8-0 in the last 2:43). Junior guard/forward Mekhi Lowery added a foul shot with 2.3 seconds remaining and graduate student guard Sam Silverstein contributed two huge defensive plays in the closing moments to preserve the Flames' first-ever victory in eight visits to Carbondale.

The full box score and play-by-play recap from Saturday's win at Southern Illinois can be found here.
 


 

SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS


 
 
 
 
 
 


BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

  • UIC trailed by 18 points (45-27) with 17:21 to play in the second half before coming back to win. The 18-point comeback win was UIC's largest rally to victory since Nov. 25, 2020, when the Flames erased a 22-point second-half deficit to defeat Northern Illinois, 65-61 at Credit Union 1 Arena. That night, UIC trailed 40-18 with 16:44 remaining in the second half before rallying for the win.
  • UIC's eight-game winning streak is the Flames' longest since Nov. 17-Dec. 15, 2012, when they also won eight in a row, all against non-conference opponents (one of which was against non-Division I opponent Roosevelt).
  • The Flames' current eight-game winning streak has come entirely against both Missouri Valley Conference opponents and D-I foes, the longest such streaks for UIC since Jan. 24-March 9, 2004, when it won 12 straight (10 regular-season Horizon League games, followed by two Horizon League Tournament games), capped by a 65-62 win at Milwaukee to claim the 2004 Horizon League Tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
  • Southern Illinois still leads the all-time series with UIC, 12-7, but the Flames have won back-to-back games against the Salukis (also 70-57 on Jan. 7 at Credit Union 1 Arena) for only the second time in series history and first since standalone wins in 2002 and 2009.
  • UIC had been 0-7 all-time against SIU in Carbondale prior to Saturday's victory.
  • The last 16 games in the UIC-SIU series have been decided by 13 points or fewer, with six of the nine matchups since the Flames joined the MVC in 2022-23 being decided by four points or fewer (including UIC's 84-82 double-overtime victory in the first round of the 2024 MVC Tournament in St. Louis).
  • Saturday marked only the second time in 12 MVC games this season that UIC has trailed at halftime (also 32-29 at UNI on Jan. 13 - a game the Flames also rallied to win, 69-61).
  • Prior to Saturday's double-digit deficit, UIC had trailed by 10 points or more for a total of 53 seconds in its last 12 games (the end of overtime at Charlotte on Dec. 21).
  • Elijah Crawford posted his second career 20-point game, both in his last three outings (he had a career-high 26 points last Saturday night. Jan. 24, at Bradley).
  • Ahmad Henderson II reached the 1,000-point mark for his career on a driving layup with 4:46 remaining. The Chicago native now has scored 1,004 points in his three collegiate seasons, including 645 in two years at UIC after playing his freshman year at Niagara.
  • Freshman guard Andy Johnson tied his career high with seven rebounds, first reaching that total on Dec. 29 against Illinois Tech.



UP NEXT: MURRAY STATE
UIC remains on the road Tuesday as the Flames head to Murray, Ky., for a 7 p.m. (CT) MVC contest at Murray State. That game will be televised live as part of The Valley on ESPN package and can be seen on ESPN+.

The Flames will then return home next Friday, Feb. 6 to play host to MVC leader Belmont at 8 p.m. (CT) at Credit Union 1 Arena. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU, can be heard globally on the Flames Network at UICFlames.com and will feature a number of special promotions, including a halftime performance by Chicago rap star and social media influencer Adamn Killa, $2.60 tickets for all fans (through the UIC Athletics Ticket Office or at the arena box office on game night) and up to nine complimentary tickets for UIC faculty, staff and guests (redeem with University ID at the arena box office). UIC students are admitted free for ALL Flames' home games and are strongly encouraged to attend the Flames Force Pre-Game Party at the Student Center East Bowling Alley (6-8 p.m.) before riding one of the many complimentary campus shuttles from East Campus to Credit Union 1 Arena beginning one hour prior to tipoff.


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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