Mastodons Travel Down Route 30 to Chicago to Play UIC

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Next year, it will be a Horizon League game. This year it is a non-league game when the Mastodons head to UIC.

What: Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (6-5) vs. UIC Flames (3-6)
When: Saturday, December 7 | 4:12 p.m. ET
Where: Chicago, Ill. | Credit Union 1 Arena
All-Time Series: UIC leads 2-1
Radio: ESPN 1380 AM/100.9 FM
  Talent: Brett Rump Listen
Online Video: ESPN3
Game Notes (PDF): Purdue Fort Wayne | UIC

KNOW YOUR FOE
UIC is sitting at 3-6 on the year. The Flames have wins over Olivet Nazarene, Robert Morris (Pa.) and San Diego. Tarkus Ferguson is averaging a team-best 16.3 points per game. He had 22 points in the win over San Diego.

THE SERIES
The Flames lead 2-1. UIC won in 2002 and 2003 with the 'Dons picking up a 67-51 victory at UIC on Nov 18, 2017. In the victory, the 'Dons used a 42-26 second half to pull away from the Flames. The two teams will be very familiar with each other next season when the 'Dons enter the Horizon League.

'DONS AND ENDS
• Only Purdue Fort Wayne, Pacific, Florida Gulf Coast and South Dakota State have played 11 games this year.
• UIC features three players from Ontario. Purdue Fort Wayne's Josh Inkumsah, who is also from Ontario, played against UIC's Deon Ejim in Ontario.
• Saturday's nontraditional start time (3:12 PM CT/4:12 PM ET) is a nod to Chicago's area code 312.
• Cameron Benford played a career-high 23 minutes in the win over Eastern Illinois on Wednesday. He matched a season high with six points while adding seven rebounds.
• Deonte Billups has six games this season with four or more rebounds, including each of the last four games.
• Dylan Carl has 69 career blocks. He is in ninth place all-time in school history. Above Carl in eighth place is Jaraun Burrows (2006-08). Burrows had 73 blocks in his time as a Mastodon.
• Marcus DeBerry is shooting 41.0 (16-of-39) from three on the season. He is out performing his career 3-point average of 32.5 percent.
• The 54 points the Mastodons allowed to Niagara earlier this year is the Mastodons' best defensive effort against a Division I opponent since allowing 51 to UIC on Nov. 18, 2017.
• Dylan Carl is shooting 56.7 percent (34-of-60) this year. It bests the 50.5 he shot last year.
• Cameron Benford is averaging 4.8 rebounds per game, up from the 3.2 last season.
• With North Dakota joining the Summit League last season and Marcus DeBerry starting his career at Northern Arizona, DeBerry has played in a league that featured North Dakota all four seasons of his career.
• Marcus DeBerry is averaging only 1.6 fouls per 40 minutes in his career, this includes his time at Northern Arizona and Purdue Fort Wayne.

IN THE FOUR GAME WIN STREAK
• The 'Dons have limited foes to a combined 19-of-80 (23.8 percent) from three.
• The 'Dons are +18 in rebounds.
• The 'Dons are shooting 116-of-227 (51.1 percent) from the floor.
• Opponents are shooting 88-of-227 (38.8 percent).
• The 'Dons are averaging 9.0 steals per game.
• The 'Dons have won the four games by an average of 18.3 points.
• Jarred Godfrey is averaging 20.0 points per game in the stretch

IN GODFREY WE TRUST
• Jarred Godfrey picked up his first career Summit League Player of the Week honor on Dec. 2. He helped the 'Dons to wins over Niagara and Grand Canyon. He finished with a career-high 28 points against Grand Canyon.
• The sophomore guard has recorded eight rebounds in a game twice this season (vs. Manchester and at Kent State).
• He is 2nd in the league in total points (179).
• He is 3rd in the league in assists (36).
• Jarred Godfrey is 4th in the Summit League in minutes per game (33.0).
• Jarred Godfrey recorded a career-high four 3-pointers against Stetson.
• The Mastodons are 3-1 when Godfrey scores 20 points or more.

TRIPLE DIGITS
Head coach Jon Coffman picked up his 100th career victory thanks to the Mastodons' win over Niagara on Nov. 27. He has the most wins in the NCAA Division I era (2001 to present) in program history. Only Andy Piazza has more wins on the Mastodon bench. Piazza went 142-108 from 1987-96 when the 'Dons were a member of NCAA Division II.

AMONG ACTIVE PLAYERS...
Among active players in NCAA Division I, Matt Holba's career 3-point field goal percentage of 40.0 percent ranks 40th in the nation. The total includes his stats from his time at Lehigh.

IN THE RANKINGS
• Jarred Godfrey is 2nd in the nation in total minutes (364).
• Jarred Godfrey is 19th in the nation in made field goals (64).
• Jarred Godfrey is 27th in the nation in total points (179).
• In the nation, the 'Dons rank 4th in made 3-pointers (102).
• In the nation, the 'Dons rank 6th in 3-point field goal attempts (281).
• In the nation, the 'Dons rank 15th in total assists (151).

GETTING CLOSER TO 1,000
Marcus DeBerry owns 871 points in his career. This total combines his time at Northern Arizona and Purdue Fort Wayne.

LUCK OF THE MASTODON
Former Mastodon Kason Harrell signed a professional contract to play for Killester in Dublin, Ireland. Harrell was in camp with the G-League Fort Wayne Mad Ants earlier this month.

'DONS SIGN JARVIS WALKER
Jarvis Walker, a 6-2 guard from Muskegon, Mich. and Muskegon High School, signed a National Letter of Intent this week to join the Mastodons. He is a two-time all-state player and has scored 1,000 points in his prep career.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Mastodons have attained an overall home record of 143-49 in Fort Wayne since 2006-07. The 'Dons are 88-28 in home games played at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum and 55-21 in home games played on campus at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center.

SMART TOO
In the latest Graduation Success Rate scores released by the NCAA in October, men's basketball earned a 92. It tied with Notre Dame for third best in the state of Indiana among men's hoops programs.

A BIT ON THE NEW GUYS
Jalin Wimberly and DeMierre Black were both named to the Honorable Mention list of 2019's www.JucoRecruiting.com's Top 100 Ranking.

FINAL SUMMIT
The 2019-20 campaign will be the final for the Mastodons in the Summit League. Next season the Mastodons will join the Horizon League. The longest trip in the Horizon League, Green Bay at six hours, will match the shortest trip for the Mastodons in the Summit League (Western Illinois). The Mastodons joined the Summit League in 2007-08 making the 2019-20 season a 13-year run.

LONG DISTANCE INFORMATION, GIVE ME MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
Following last season's historic campaign when John Konchar finished his collegiate career as the first student-athlete in NCAA Division I men's basketball history to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists and 200 steals, Konchar earned a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. He will spend the majority of the 2019-20 season with the G-League Memphis Hustle but he can spend a maximum of 45 days on the NBA roster. On November 9, 2019 he made his NBA debut by playing seven minutes for the Grizzlies against the Dallas Mavericks. In doing so he became the first Mastodon in school history to play in the NBA.

~ Feel the Rumble ~

Mastodons Travel Down Route 30 to Chicago to Play UIC

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Players Mentioned

Cameron Benford

Deonte Billups

DeMierre Black

Dylan Carl

Marcus DeBerry

Jarred Godfrey

Kason Harrell

Matt Holba

Josh Inkumsah

John Konchar

Jalin Wimberly

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics