EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Interstat) — A surging Illinois-Chicago team looks to continue its push in the Missouri Valley Conference when it visits struggling Evansville on Wednesday night at Ford Center. The Flames (15-12) have won five of their last seven games, including a dominant 83-56 victory over Illinois State on Sunday. They previously handled Evansville (6-20) with ease, winning 76-49 in Chicago on Jan. 20. UIC is led by guard Elijah Crawford, who is coming off a 12-point, eight-assist performance against Illinois State. Over his last eight games, Crawford is averaging 15.4 points and 4.4 assists, including a 26-point outburst at Bradley and a 23-point effort at Southern Illinois. His playmaking will be central to the Flames’ attack. Evansville, meanwhile, seeks to halt a four-game skid following an 86-60 loss at Southern Illinois on Feb. 12. The Purple Aces’ lone bright spot in that stretch was an 88-80 home win over Illinois State on Feb. 9. Guard Bryce Quinet has been Evansville’s most consistent scorer recently, averaging 12.9 points over his last seven contests. He scored 20 in the loss to Southern Illinois and 17 in the win over Illinois State. However, he was held to 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting in the January loss to UIC. The Flames have shown improved form on both ends of the floor during their recent run, while the Purple Aces have struggled defensively, allowing an average of 78.5 points during their four-game losing streak. Wednesday’s contest is the backend of a conference home-and-home series. A win would give UIC a season sweep and solidify its standing in the upper half of the Valley, while Evansville desperately needs a positive result to build momentum for its final regular-season stretch.