GAME NOTES: The Illinois-Chicago Flames hit the road to take on the red-hot SMU Mustangs Wednesday night at Moody Coliseum.

UIC is opening a three-game road trip following a 1-3 homestand. The Flames fell to Tennessee-Martin in overtime on Monday, 81-78. They have lost seven of their last nine games overall.

SMU is seeking a fifth straight victory. The Mustangs have been idle since an 80-73 overtime win against UCSB last Monday. They are 5-1 on their current homestand, which ends with this matchup.

SMU notched a 73-65 win over UIC last season in what was the first-ever meeting between these two programs.

UIC scratched and clawed its way back from a 17-point, second-half deficit against UTM. The Flames went on a 20-4 run over the final 9:38 of regulation to force overtime. However, the Skyhawks grabbed the early lead in the extra session and went up by as many as eight with 1:26 remaining before sealing the outcome.

Paris Burns led the way for UIC with 24 points, followed by Marc Brown with 23. The team's leading scorer, Jay Harris (17.0 ppg), added 18 points to reach double figures for the 11th time in his last 12 games. Jake Wiegand (13.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg) finished with only three points on 1-of-9 shooting. The Flames committed only six turnovers as a team and went 18-of-20 at the foul line. However, they also shot just 38 percent from the floor and were out-rebounded, 44-36.

SMU is led by sharpshooter Nic Moore and his 14.3 ppg. Moore is shooting 50.6 percent from the floor, 47.4 percent from 3-point range (18-of-38), and 95.8 percent at the foul line (23-of-24). However, Moore left the UCSB game with a bruised right knee early in the second half, leaving his status for this contest uncertain. Down low, Yanick Moreira (12.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Ben Moore (10.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg) are both averaging double figures in addition to helping out on the glass. SMU sports a +6.3 rebounding margin on the season, and the Mustangs have shot 48.4 percent from the floor as a team, while holding foes to 39.9-percent shooting.

Shortly after Moore exited last Monday's game with his knee injury, UCSB went on an 18-3 run to grab its first lead with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. However, the Mustangs had the hot hand in overtime, where Ben Emelogu hit a key jumper for a 75-69 lead and SMU later sealed the win with free throws. Keith Frazier scored a career-high 20 points and Yanick Moreira added 15 in the win.

SMU has won 24 of its last 26 home games, so the Flames will need a near- flawless effort here if they hope to emerge with a victory. Moore's health could certainly factor into that, but look for the Mustangs to tack on another win here.