Flames invited to “Little Dance” for first time

(3/17/03)

UIC learned its postseason fate late Sunday night. The Flames will travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. to take on Western Michigan from the Mid-American Conference in the opening round of the National Invitational Tournament.

The game, part of the 40-team tournament, is Wednesday night at 6 p.m.

“We’re ecstatic to be playing in the NIT,” UIC coach Jimmy Collins said in a press statement. “Western Michigan is a well-coached team from a strong conference. They will be a quality opponent for us.”

The Flames (21-8) are making their first appearance in the NIT and are making back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time in school history. UIC has now made three postseason appearance—all under Coach Collins.

UIC fell to Wisconsin-Milwaukee 75-73 in the heartbreaking Horizon League tournament semifinal last week.

Western Michigan is 19-10 on the season with a 10-8 mark in the MAC. The Broncos lost to Northern Illinois in the MAC tournament quarterfinals in Cleveland last week.

UIC joins Milwaukee and Butler as postseason representatives from the Horizon League. Milwaukee is No. 12 seed in the West region of the NCAA tournament and faces Notre Dame in the first round, while Butler, which made the NCAA as an at-large qualifier, is also a No. 12 seed and faces Mississippi State in the South region.