Saturday, November 22nd, 8:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: UIC Pavilion,(8,000) -- Chicago, Illinois. Television: ESPN Full Court and ESPN360.com. Home Record: DePaul 1-0, UIC 1-0. Away Record: DePaul 0-0, UIC 0-1. Neutral Record: DePaul 0-0, UIC 0-0. Conference Record: DePaul 0-0, UIC 0-0. Series Record: DePaul leads, 2-1.

GAME NOTES: The DePaul Blue Demons challenge the Illinois-Chicago Flames this evening in non-conference action at the UIC Pavilion. This will be DePaul's first road game of the 2008-09 season and its first of two consecutive games against teams from the Horizon League. Following this clash, the Blue Demons host Detroit on Wednesday. DePaul knocked off the Albany Great Danes on Monday at McGrath Arena, 76-64, in its season opener which marked the first time since the 2004-05 season that the club won its opener. DePaul has won 68 of its last 70 home openers. This will be UIC's second straight home game after opening the season with a 67-61 loss to the Bradley Braves in Peoria on November 21st. The Flames are coming off an 84-77 victory over Northern Iowa on Wednesday in UIC's home opener. After DePaul, the Flames travel to the nation's capital to take on the Howard Bison on Tuesday. Tonight's game marks the fourth time DePaul and UIC have met on the hardwood with DePaul winning two of the previous three meetings. However, the Flames won the last encounter on December 15, 2007 in an 85-80 final.

After being in control for most of the game, the Blue Demons took their foot off the gas a little and let Albany creep back into contention, leading by only six with a little over eight minutes to play. That would be the closest the Great Danes would get as the Blue Demons pulled away and went on to win by 11. Dar Tucker scored a game-high 23 points and Will Walker added 19 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in the win for DePaul. Also having a solid game was Jabari Currie who scored 11 points, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, and six boards. DePaul shot 45.5 percent from the field in the first half but struggled in the second, shooting just 31 percent, including 0-of-9 from three-point range. The Blue Demons were outrebounded by 10, but only turned the ball over six times while forcing 20 turnovers.

After shooting just 35 percent from the floor, including 30 percent from three-point land in the loss to Bradley, the Flames appeared to have returned to form. Last season, UIC averaged 44 percent and 39 percent, respectively, and in the win over Northern Iowa, collectively the team shot 50 percent from the floor and made 10-of-16 threes (.625). Josh Mayo led all scorers with 27 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 12-of-12 from the charity stripe and also dished out a game-high six assists. Rob Eppinger, making his first start, added 10 points and four boards. Mayo leads the Flames in scoring with 20 ppg and Scott Vandermeer, who is averaging 11.5 ppg, paces the club in rebounding with seven per game. So far in its first two games, UIC has held its opponents to just 25.5 percent shooting from three-point range and are plus-3.5 in turnover margin.

The Flames go as their perimeter shooting goes, which has been evident in their first two games. The Blue Demons are a bigger, more physical team than the Flames but will have to get outside on defense to stop Mayo and company who love the three-ball. This will be close game late but look for Mayo or fellow guard Robo Kreps to come up with some late treys to seal the win for the home team.

Predicted Outcome

Illinois-Chicago 70, DePaul 65