March 6, 2008

UIC Men's Basketball Game Notes in PDF Format

Chicago, Ill.- The UIC men's basketball team will seek its first trip to the Horizon League Tournament semifinals since 2003-04 when the Flames tangle with city rival Loyola in the league quarterfinals this Friday night in Indianapolis.

The fourth-seeded Flames (17-14) and the eighth-seeded Ramblers (12-18) will tip-off inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Butler University campus at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST.

The winner of Friday's game moves on to the semifinals to face top-seeded Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. CST.

Adam Levinson will handle the play-by-play alongside color analyst Denny Wills during Friday's live broadcast on WIND 560 AM. The game will also be shown live on the Horizon League Network.

Friday's game marks the third time in the last four years that UIC and Loyola will meet in the conference quarterfinals. The Ramblers eliminated the Flames in closely-contested tournament games in 2005 and 2007.

The Flames' only win over the Ramblers in the conference tournament came in 2002, when UIC's Cedrick Banks hit a game-winning jumper with four seconds remaining in the league tournament championship game.

UIC has won four of the last five against Loyola, including both of the previous meetings this season. Their two matchups this year have gone down to the wire, as the first meeting on Jan. 12 at the UIC Pavilion required double-overtime and the second meeting at the Gentile Center was decided by just five points.

Both teams have won at least one Horizon League Tournament game in each of the past seven seasons, the longest active streak in the league.

Junior guard Josh Mayo leads UIC in scoring with 17.5 points per game, the second-best average in the Horizon League. Junior center Scott VanderMeer is the league's best rebounder (7.5 rpg) and shot blocker (2.65 bpg).

For more information on the UIC men's basketball team and the Flames' quarterfinal game against Loyola, click on the updated game notes at the link above.