Horizon foes will lock horns when the Youngstown State Penguins (9-17) take on the UIC Flames (5-19) at Beeghly Physical Education Center. Action gets underway at 7:05 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 16 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Penguins lost to Cleveland State 64-59 on Saturday. Cameron Morse finished with 18 points to lead the team. The Flames, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-77 win against Northern Kentucky on Saturday. Tai Odiase played well, registering 12 points, nine blocks, and eight rebounds.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Penguins winning the first matchup 82-78. Odiase played a big role with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
The Penguins come into this game 9-17 Straight Up (SU) and 11-11 Against The Spread (ATS). The Penguins have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 67.4 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 75.0 points per game. Youngstown State’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 75.8 during that span, compared to its 82.4 season average. Youngstown State will look to take advantage of the Flames and their propensity to foul. UIC ranks 321st in the nation in fouls, averaging 22.0 per game.
On the other side, UIC has a SU record of 5-19 and an ATS record of 9-14. Offensively, the Flames have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 66.5 points per game by averaging 73.3 during that stretch. UIC is one of the better rebounding teams in Division I. The Flames average 40.6 rebounds per game, making them the 26th-best team in the country for that category. The Flames average 76.8 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 84.9 points per game during that span.
The Penguins’ win over UIC in their last game brought the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. The Flames lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers, neither team was able to hold the advantage in all three of these categories over their past five meetings against one another.
Predictions: SU Winner – UIC, ATS Winner – UIC
Notes
UIC won its last game by a two-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, Youngstown State is 1-2. UIC is 2-2 in close games this season.
Youngstown State has an average field goal percentage of 42.7%. UIC is a subpar 2-12 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Youngstown State Penguins rank lower for their field goal percentage (246th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (226th), but the UIC Flames have a better FG% ranking (340th) than eFG% ranking (347th).
Youngstown State ranks 92nd in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.19. UIC is ranked lower at 316th with an A/TO of .81.
UIC, the 26th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 40.6 rebounds per game. Youngstown State does worse, ranked 291st with 33.6.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, UIC ranks 24th. Youngstown State ranks 216th in defensive rebounds.
Youngstown State has forced an average turnover percentage of 17.9% this season. UIC has an abysmal 2-16 record when its TO% is 17.9% or higher.
