Once Upon A Time in America Betting Show
The UIC Flames (9-5, 1-2 MVC) are in Peoria, Illinois on Saturday for a Missouri Valley Conference showdown at the Carver Arena against the Bradley Braves (9-5, 2-1 MVC). UIC defeated Illinois State 55-51 on Wednesday, with Toby Okani scoring a team best 18 points for the Flames. Bradley was defeated by the Belmont Bruins on Wednesday 63-60, dropping the Braves from the undefeated ranks in conference play and snapping a two-game winning streak. UIC and Chicago do not have any players listed on their respective injury reports.
UIC is scoring an average of only 68.4 points per game and therefore it's the Flames’ defense that is key to its success. UIC is allowing an average of only 66.7 points per game. Opponents are shooting 41.8% overall and 29.4% from behind the three-point line against UIC defense. The Flames are averaging 32.4 rebounds per game and allowing an average of 35.1 boards per contest which is their weak point overall. The leading rebounder is Toby Okani with an average of 7.6 boards per game and Okani is also the leader in blocked shots with an average of 1.4 swats per game. Jace Carter is the leader in steals with an average of 1.6 per game.
As mentioned earlier, UIC is scoring an average of 68.4 points per game, while shooting 42.2% overall and 33.1% from three-point land. UIC is led in scoring by Carter with an ave rage of 15.6 points per game and the guard is shooting 47.2% overall and 29.1% from downtown. Okani is the second leading scorer with an average of 13.1 points per game. The guard is shooting 52.2% overall and 43.5% from long range. Trevante Anderson is the leader in assists with an average of 3.8 dishes for a contest. UIC averages 12.9 assists and 13.3 turnovers per game.