Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
UIC
Flames visit Southern Illinois on Red-Hot Streak
01/30/2026 | 3:04:00 | Men's Basketball
The Salukis (9-12, 3-7 MVC) take on the Flames (12-10, 7-4 MVC) at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, in the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill.
Game Details
Matchup: SIU vs. UIC
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Banterra Center, Carbondale, Ill.
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Listen | App | Tickets
LOOKING AT UIC
After starting MVC play 0-4, the Flames have won seven games in a row for the longest current winning streak in the MVC. They began that winning streak with a 70-57 win over SIU on Jan. 7, and won their last game in a wild 76-74 battle with Indiana State.
Ahmad Henderson II leads the Flames, averaging 12.5 points per game. Freshman forward Andy Johnson led UIC with 14 points in their win over SIU.
UIC averages 75.45 points per game as a team, tied for 205th nationally and tied for sixth in The Valley.
Defensively, the Flames allow 70.09 points per game, which is third in The Valley and 89th in the country.
They lead The Valley in offensive rebounds per game at 13.18.
UIC ranks No. 143 in the latest NET ratings and No. 136Â in KenPom.
THE DAWGS
Scott Nagy became the 13th active coach and the 70th all-time to reach 600 wins with a 65-50 victory over UNI on Jan. 28.
Eight Salukis average more than 18 minutes per game. Quel'Ron House leads the team with 13.8 points per game. Seven others average seven or more points, including Drew Steffe (9.9), Rolyns Aligbe (9.6), Damien Mayo Jr. (8.5), Jalen Haynes (8.4), Prince Aligbe (7.8), Isaiah Stafford (7.3) and Davion Sykes (7.0).
Sophomore Max Pikaar has recorded a block in seven of 10 MVC games and leads the team with 17 on the season.
Southern is shooting 46.3 percent from the field, which is 124th in the nation. They do most of their work inside the arc, making only 4.9 3-pointers per game, which is bottom five in the country.
Freshman Jalen Haynes has been a bright spot off the bench this season, scoring in double figures in eight contests. He had a season-high 22 in his first start of the season on Jan. 17 against Belmont.
SIU has been good on the boards, holding a +2.8 rebounds per game margin on the season. They are in the top 67 overall, averaging 38.5 rebounds per game. The Dawgs split up the work pretty evenly, with Rolyns Aligbe
leading the way with 6.7 boards per game. Aligbe has three double-doubles on the season, with his third coming last time out against Northern Iowa when he had a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds. He tallied a career-high 12 rebounds in SIU's win over Valparaiso on Jan. 1.
Southern's Jan. 25 game at Evansville was postponed due to the winter storm. The game has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 1.
SIU landed at No. 134 in the most recent NET ratings, fifth in the MVC.
LAST TIME OUT
Southern Illinois defeated UNI 65-50 on Wednesday, Jan. 28. Rolyns Aligbe had a career-high 21 points, shooting 4-for-4 from three-point range.
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by visiting SIUSalukis.com as well as following the team on X at @SIU_Basketball, Instagram at @SIU_Basketball, and Facebook at Facebook.com/SIUBasketball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
