GAME 21 • UCF VS HOUSTON Director, Strategic Communications: Daniel Forcella | Cell: (207) 650-6790 | Email: [email protected] Assistant Director, Strategic Communications: Kelly Cartner | Cell: (248) 978-5201 | Email: [email protected] GAME INFORMATION UCF KNIGHTS (16-4, 6-2) Head Coach: Johnny Dawkins (Duke, 1986) Date ...................................................... Thursday, Feb. 7 Record at UCF: 59-29 (3rd Season) Time ................................................................. 7 p.m. ET Overall Record: 215-144 (11th Season) Site ............................................................Orlando, Fla. VS Stadium ...........................................................CFE Arena Capacity ................................................................ 10,000 (12/12) HOUSTON COUGARS (21-1, 8-1) TV ................................................ CBS Sports Network Head Coach: Kelvin Sampson (UNC Pembroke, 1978) Play-by-Play .........................................Chris Hassel Record at Houston: 104-49 (5th Season) Analyst ........................................... Mike O’Donnell Overall Record: 604-319 (30th Season) Radio .....................................FM96.9/AM740 The Game Play-by-Play ....................................... Marc Daniels UCFACTS Analyst ................................................Taylor Young Twitter ......................................................... @UCF_MBB SETTING THE SCENE • Following a home win over UConn, completing the season sweep of the Huskies, UCF remains Hashtag.......................................................... #ChargeOn at home and returns to action against the No. 12 team in the nation in Houston. • The Knights have won three of their last four games and 10 of their last 12. SCHEDULE/RESULTS • At 16-4, it matches the team’s best 20-game start in the program’s Division I era (2003-04). O29 Flagler& W, 86-69 • The Knights are third in The American at 6-2, matching their best start to AAC action, and with a N6 Rider ESPN3 W, 84-70 win on Thursday it would be new nine-game best to open play in The American. N11 FAU ESPN3 L, 80-79 AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS N15 vs. Cal State Fullerton# ESPN3 W, 68-52 • The Knights are just 5-44 all-time against ranked opponents, but two of those five wins have N16 vs. Saint Joseph’s# ESPN2 W, 77-57 come in the last two seasons under head coach Johnny Dawkins. N18 vs. Western Kentucky# ESPN2 W, 78-62 • UCF defeated No. 24 Alabama on the road last season and took down No. 15 Cincinnati at home in 2016-17. N24 Northern Kentucky ESPN3 W, 66-53 • The win over the Bearcats was the highest ranked team the Knights have beaten at home, with N29 Alabama ESPNU W, 70-64 a win on Thursday being the new high. D2 at Missouri ESPNU L, 64-62 (ot) • UCF’s highest ranked win was a neutral site victory over No. 4 UConn in the Bahamas, but a win D8 Grambling ESPN3 W, 70-45 Thursday would mark the second highest. D11 Georgia Southern ESPN3 W, 95-88 CLASH WITH THE COOGS D16 Stetson ESPN3 W, 90-65 • Houston holds a 14-10 advantage over UCF in the all-time series, and has had the upper hand D21 Illinois State ESPN3 W, 77-56 as of late, winning five of the last six meetings. J2 Temple* ESPNews W, 78-73 • UCF owns a slight 6-5 lead in games played in Orlando, though, but was unable to top the J5 at UConn* ESPNews W, 65-53 Cougars last season at CFE Arena, falling 69-65. • The Coogs also took down the Knights in the quarterfinals of The American Tournament a year J13 ECU* ESPNU W, 76-65 ago, 84-56, ultimately ending UCF’s season. J16 at Wichita State* CBSSN L, 75-67 J19 Tulsa* ESPNU W, 64-62 HOT HOUSTON J23 at Tulane* ESPN3 W, 75-50 • Houston comes to Orlando at 21-1, one of just four teams in the nation with just a single loss. • The Cougars had an undefeated non-conference slate that included wins over LSU, Oregon, J27 at Memphis* CBSSN L, 77-57 Oklahoma State, Saint Louis and Utah State. J31 UConn* ESPNU W, 73-67 • Houston’s lone loss was on the road at Temple, which sits just behind UCF at 6-3 in the AAC. F7 #12/12 Houston* CBSSN 7 p.m. • The Coogs have climbed to 12th in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll. F10 at SMU* ESPNews 2 p.m. HOLDING THE LEAD F13 S. Florida* ESPNews 7 p.m. • The veteran group for UCF has been solid in holding a lead in 2018-19. F16 Memphis* ESPN2/U 6 p.m. • UCF is a perfect 16-0 when leading with two minutes remaining in the game. F21 at Cincinnati* ESPN/2 7 p.m. • Conversely, the Knights are 0-4 when tied or trailing with two minutes left on the clock. F24 SMU* CBSSN 12 p.m. F27 at S. Florida* ESPN3 7 p.m. A UCF WIN WOULD RECORD BREAKDOWN M2 at Houston* ESPN/2/U 4 p.m. M7 Cincinnati* ESPN/2 7 p.m. • Be better than a loss Overall .................................................16-4 • Give the Knights 11 wins in their last 13 games M9 at Temple* ESPN2/News 4 p.m. The American ........................................6-2 M14 AAC First Round% TBD TBD • Snap a three-game losing skid against Houston • Improve the Knights to 7-2 in AAC play, their best Non-Conference ..................................10-2 M15 AAC Quarterfinals% TBD TBD ever start to AAC action M16 AAC Semifinals% TBD TBD Home ...................................................11-1 • Bring UCF to 12-1 at home and be its 11th M17 AAC Finals% TBD TBD straight victory at CFE Arena Away ...................................................... 2-3 * American Athletic Conference contest & Exhibition contest • Be the Knights sixth win over a ranked opponent Neutral................................................... 3-0 # Myrtle Beach Invitational and their second highest ranked win ever % American Athletic Conference Tournament All times Eastern Twitter: @UCF_MBB | Instagram: UCF.MBB | Facebook: /UCFMensBasketball 1 2018-19 UCF GAME NOTES GAME 21 • UCF VS HOUSTON BY THE NUMBERS KNIGHT NOTES KNIGHTS COOGS OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY • Known for their defense the last few years under Johnny Dawkins, the Knights have been 73.6 POINTS 8 75.5 extremely efficient offensively in 2018-19. 63.9 DEFENSE 8 60.5 • UCF leads The American in field goal percentage, shooting 46.8 percent from the floor. • UCF has shot over 50 percent six times and under 40 percent just twice this season. +9.7 MARGIN 8 +15.1 • In the win over Temple on Jan. 2, the Knights shot a season-high 60.4 percent from the field. 46.8 8 FG% 43.8 DOMINATING DEFENSE DEFENSE 8 39.3 FG% 36.3 • It’s the defense that has dominated under Dawkins though, holding opponents to a combined 6.7 THREES 8 9.0 38.10 percent from the floor the previous two seasons, which led the nation during that time. 34.4 34.4 • Only two teams in the nation were ranked in the top six in scoring defense in both 2016-17 3FG% and 2017-18, UCF and Virginia. 32.6 3FG% DEFENSE 8 26.2 • The Knights led the nation in defensive field goal percentage in 2016-17, holding opponents to 63.0 FT% 8 72.9 36.5 percent, and in 2017-18 they ranked ranked third in the nation in scoring defense at 61.7. • UCF ranks second in The American in field goal percentage defense (39.3) and third in scoring +1.9 REB MARGIN 8 +7.9 defense (63.9), having held seven opponents to less than 60 points. 13.3 ASSISTS 8 15.0 • The Knights are 9-0 when allowing 63 points or less and 7-0 when holding opponents to less than 36 percent shooting from the field. 11.5 8 TOS 11.6 1.2 AST-TO 8 1.3 TAKING CARE OF THE BALL • A veteran group, UCF is one of the best in the nation at not turning the ball over, ranking first 8 6.4 STEALS 6.9 in The American and 15th in all of NCAA Division I with just 233 turnovers. 4.8 8 BLOCKS 4.7 • With 11.6 turnovers per game, the Knights would destroy the program record for fewest turnovers per game in a season if it ended today (13.0). • UCF has had five games this season with single digit turnovers, including a season-best of six SERIES INFORMATION against Stetson. Overall: .................................................Houston, 14-10 BIG SHOT BARRY • BJ Taylor has led UCF in scoring each of his three seasons on the court, and now his 16.9 in Houston: ............................................... Houston, 7-4 points per game leads the Knights and ranks eighth in The American in 2018-19. in Orlando: .......................................................UCF, 6-5 • The Orlando native was named the Preseason Player of the Year and Preseason First Team All- Conference in The American. at Neutral location: ..................................Houston, 2-0 • If he continues pace, Taylor could become the first player in UCF’s D1 era to average 15+ points per game in three consecutive seasons. Streak: .................................................. Houston won 3 • With a knack of getting to the line, Taylor ranks fifth all-time at UCF with 390 free throws and Last meeting:..................... No. 21 Houston 84, UCF 56 is 19th in the nation this season with 121 free throws made. • He also ranks ninth all-time with 274 assists and 10th with 156 three-pointers. ................................................................March 9, 2018 Last UCF win: .................................UCF 77, Houston 70 TAYLOR ALREADY IN THE CLUB • Taylor became the 19th player in UCF history to join the 1,000-Point Club when he achieved ..................................................................Jan. 14, 2017 the feat Feb. 21, 2018 at Tulsa. • Taylor scored 1,000 points in just 66 games, believed to be the third fastest in UCF’s Division I The all-time series between UCF and Houston dates back to history behind Ken Leeks (1988-92) and Darryl Davis (1991-95). 2006, when the Knights defeated the Cougars 66-56 on Jan.