Preview: Illinois-Chicago at Drake DES MOINES, Iowa (Interstat) — Two Missouri Valley Conference teams looking to halt slides meet Thursday afternoon when the Illinois-Chicago Flames visit the Drake Bulldogs at Knapp Center. The Flames (13-12) have dropped two straight, including a 68-62 home loss to Belmont last Friday. The Bulldogs (12-14) have lost four consecutive games, most recently an 81-76 defeat to Valparaiso on Monday. This is a rematch of a Jan. 17 contest in Chicago, which the Flames won 74-67. In that game, Drake guard Jalen Quinn scored 28 points, but UIC’s Mekhi Lowery contributed 6 points, 2 assists and 3 blocks in 28 minutes to help secure the victory. Lowery, a key two-way player for the Flames, is coming off a 13-point performance against Belmont. Over his last seven games, he has averaged 7.1 points, 1.7 assists and 1.0 blocks, providing consistent defensive energy. However, containing Quinn will be UIC’s primary challenge. The dynamic Drake guard is amid a spectacular scoring stretch, averaging 28.0 points over his last nine games. He poured in 33 points in the loss to Valparaiso and scored 28 in the previous meeting with the Flames. Quinn has topped 30 points four times in this recent span. Drake’s struggles have largely come on the defensive end, allowing an average of 89.5 points during their four-game skid. UIC will look to exploit that, led by guards Ahmad Henderson (14 points vs. Belmont) and Elijah Crawford (11 points vs. Belmont). Both teams are jockeying for position in the MVC standings ahead of the conference tournament. A win for UIC would solidify a season sweep and help them climb back above .500. For Drake, ending their losing streak at home is crucial to salvaging their season’s final weeks. The game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. EST tipoff on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.