It will be a battle between Horizon opponents when the UIC Flames (5-20) welcome the Detroit Titans (14-12) to UIC Pavilion. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 19 and will air on ES3.
The Flames lost a winnable game to Youngstown State 92-91 on Tuesday. Despite the loss, Tai Odiase earned his third double-double this season with 22 points and 12 rebounds. The Titans are coming off a 74-68 win against Northern Kentucky on Tuesday. Paris Bass had a good game, recording 24 points and 12 rebounds to claim his fifth double-double of the season.
Over the last five games, Odiase has taken his game to another level for the Flames, averaging 14.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.4 blocks. Bass has also upped his play in the same span, averaging 19.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.6 blocks, and 0.6 three-pointers while leading the Titans.
The aggressive UIC offense seems poised to dominate from the foul line. It ranks 17th in the nation with a FTA rate of 45.1, while Detroit is among the nation’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 323rd-ranked FTA rate of 44.2).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Titans winning the first matchup 87-69. Despite the loss, Dikembe Dixson was a top performer in the game with 22 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and one three-pointer.
The Flames are trying to improve upon their records of 5-20 Straight Up (SU) and 10-14 Against The Spread (ATS). The most recent ten-game stretch for the Flames has gone great. Over that span, UIC is averaging 82.6 points per game, well over their season average of 67.5. Teams have a tough time keeping UIC off of the offensive glass. They rank 15th in Division I in offensive rebounds. As for the UIC defense, opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Flames, ranking 26th in the country in blocks per game with 5.2.
Across the court, the Titans head into the game with records of 13-11 ATS and 14-12 SU. Offensively, they average 83.7 points per game, which is good for eighth in the country. The Titans convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking 34th in the nation at .383.
The Titans’ win over UIC in their last clash moved their SU record in the most recent matchups against UIC to 8-2. At 5-5, they are even ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Detroit held the edge in all three of these categories twice in the last five meetings. UIC never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Det, ATS Winner – Det
Notes
Detroit is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 83.7 points per game (ranked eighth). UIC, on the other hand, allows 77.4 points per game (ranked 220th).
Ranked 71st, the Detroit Titans have an offensive rating of 111.2. The UIC Flames rank 252nd with a defensive rating of just 106.5.
The Detroit Titans average a field goal percentage of 46.6% this season. The UIC Flames are a winless 0-7 when opponents have a FG% of 46.6% or greater.
The UIC Flames rank higher based on their field goal percentage (339th) than their effective field goal percentage (345th). The Detroit Titans rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (51st) than their field goal percentage (59th).
UIC ranks 26th in blocks per game with 5.2 and Detroit ranks 68th with 4.4 blocks per game.
UIC is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 15th. Detroit ranks just 114th in defensive rebounds.
The UIC Flames average 5.4 steals per game. When allowing 5 or more steals, the Detroit Titans are an even 8-8 this season.
