The Wright State Raiders will be at UIC Pavilion to face the UIC Flames in a Horizon matchup. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 11 and will air on ES3.
The Flames lost big to Valparaiso 73-55 the last time they played. Michael Kolawole had a solid performance for UIC, finishing with 16 points and three rebounds. The Raiders, meanwhile, are coming off a 79-60 win over Green Bay in their last game. Biggie Minnis led the team in scoring by accumulating 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
The aggressive UIC offense seems poised to dominate from the foul line. It ranks 15th in the nation with a FTA rate of 45.7, while Wright State is among the nation’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 343rd-ranked FTA rate of 49.4).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Raiders winning the first matchup 80-66. Despite the loss, Dikembe Dixson had a standout performance with 29 points, nine rebounds, and two assists.
The Flames are looking to improve on their records of 3-19 Straight Up (SU) and 7-14 Against The Spread (ATS). The Flames have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 73.5 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 66.0 points per game. The Flames have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 37th-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 40.2 per game, while the Raiders rank 338th in the nation with 31.1 per game. UIC’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 65.5 during that span, compared to its 77.5 season average.
On the other side, Wright State has a SU record of 15-10 and an ATS record of 11-13. The Raiders convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking 46th in the nation at .377. Switching gears to the Wright State defense, the Raiders allow just 65.9 points per game, ranking them 38th in the nation.
Wright State won the last meeting this season between these two teams, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. On the other hand, UIC leads the matchup ATS with a record of 8-2. Wright State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once, while UIC was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – UIC, ATS Winner – UIC
Notes
UIC averages 66.0 points per game, placing the team just 234th in the nation. Wright State ranks 38th in points allowed, giving up 65.9 points per game.
The Wright State Raiders have a defensive rating of 99.1 (ranked 90th), while the UIC Flames have an offensive rating of 92.1 (ranked 341st).
Wright State has an average field goal percentage of 45.1%. UIC is an underachieving 1-11 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The UIC Flames rank higher based on their field goal percentage (340th) than their effective field goal percentage (348th). The Wright State Raiders rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (91st) than their field goal percentage (118th).
UIC, the 56th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.6 per game. Wright State does worse, ranked 337th with 1.8.
UIC is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 16th. Wright State ranks just 225th in defensive rebounds.
UIC has forced an average turnover percentage of 16.9% this season. Wright State is an even 7-7 when its TO% is 16.9% or higher.
