DES MOINES — UIC sophomore guard Elijah Crawford turned in a balanced line with a game-high 18 points, five rebounds and five assists, scoring seven points in a game-ending 19-5 run over the final six-plus minutes as the Flames charged past Drake, 80-70 on Thursday night in a Missouri Valley Conference matchup at the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa. It was the Flames' first road win at Drake since 1978, three seasons before UIC (14-12, 9-6 MVC) elevated to NCAA Division I status, and marked the first time the Flames have won back-to-back games against the Bulldogs in their 16-game series.
Crawford led a quartet of UIC players in double figures, with graduate student guard Josiah Hammons and junior guard/forward Mekhi Lowery both scoring 12 points and freshman guard Andy Johnson adding 10 points and a career-high four steals. Graduate student forward Abdul Momoh also contributed on a defensive end with a season high-tying four blocks.
UIC raced out to a 14-2 lead less than four minutes into the game and stretched its advantage to 33-18 when Hammons canned a three-pointer with 7:36 left in the first half. Drake (12-15, 6-10) scored the next 13 points before the Flames steadied and would take a 40-38 halftime lead. The second half would be a two-possession game all the way to the 6:37 mark when the Bulldogs briefly grabbed a 65-61 lead, but 18 seconds later, UIC ignited its closing spurt, going ahead for good on Lowery's two free throws coming out of the final media timeout (3:44).
The full box score and play-by-play recap from Thursday's win at Drake can be found here.
SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- UIC picks up its second win in nine all-time visits to Drake, and first road win over the Bulldogs since the teams' inaugural matchup on Dec. 28, 1978 (an 84-82 Flames' victory).
- The Flames sweep the Missouri Valley Conference's Iowa road swing (Northern Iowa and Drake) for the first time since joining the conference in 2022-23 — UIC posted a 69-61 win at UNI back on Jan. 13.
- The Flames post consecutive wins over Drake for the first time in the series' 16-game history (the Bulldogs still lead 11-5, but the margin is just 4-3 since UIC joined the MVC, and the Flames have won three of their last four against the Bulldogs).
- The 10-point margin of victory is UIC's largest ever against Drake, surpassing an 82-73 win on Dec. 4, 2000, in Chicago.
- UIC posted its second-best free-throw percentage of the season (17-18, .944), topped only by a perfect 13-of-13 effort at Belmont on Dec. 13.
UP NEXT: ILLINOIS STATE
UIC will be back home Sunday when it plays host to Illinois State in a 2 p.m. (CT) matinee at Credit Union 1 Arena. It will be Alumni Day, as the Flames welcome back several of their all-time greats who will be honored during a halftime ceremony. In addition, it will be UIC's annual Coaches vs. Cancer Game, with members of the Flames' staff wearing special sneakers painted by some of the pediatric cancer patients at UI Health.
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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