Nov. 20, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
ORLANDO - The UCF men's basketball team returns to the UCF Arena hardwood on Tuesday, hosting in-state opponent Nova Southeastern. Tip-off at "Torchy Clark Court" is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The contest will mark the second of four-straight games at home to start the year for the Golden Knights (1-0).
Nova Southeastern enters the contest with a 1-1 mark.
Tickets for the game are still available. Call (407) UCF-GOLD for more information or to purchase tickets.
The contest will be aired live on the UCF ISP Sports Network and its flagship station, WQTM - 740 THE TEAM. Marc Daniels will have the call live from courtside. Audio of the contest is also available on www.UCFathletics.com as part of the "Golden Knights All-Access" package.
UCF HOSTS NOVA SOUTHEASTERN After opening the 2005-06 campaign with a 68-58 home win over cross-town foe Rollins on Friday, UCF returns to action against Nova Southeastern. Against the Tars, Troy Lindbeck led the way, coming off the bench to score a career-high 20 points. Justin Rose totaled a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go with five assists, two steals and a pair of blocks. This past weekend, Nova Southeastern participated in the Russell Marshall Invitational in Arkadelphia, Ark., going 1-1. On Friday, the Sharks posted a 77-58 win over host Ouachita Baptist. Nova Southeastern shot 55.8 percent from the floor in the win. In the tournament title game on Saturday, Northeastern State edged Nova Southeastern, 58-57. Calvin Jenkins averaged 14 points and five rebounds at the event.
SERIES HISTORY UCF and Nova Southeastern will be meeting for the third time on the hardwood and for the first time since the 1997-98 season. UCF has won both series matchups, which were both played in Orlando. In the last meeting on Dec. 13, 1997, the Golden Knights claimed an 86-62 victory. Mark Jones led the hosts, finishing with 26 points. Jones was 5-of-6 from three-point range and added five assists and five steals. Bucky Hodge recorded 10 points and nine rebounds for the Golden Knights. Sherrad Hernandez paced Nova Southeastern with 24 points and nine boards. The teams also met on Dec. 3, 1996 and UCF eased a 79-54 victory with Tony Marlow and D'Quarius Stewart each scoring 12 points.
CAREER-NIGHT FOR LINDBECK Troy Lindbeck started the season in style against Rollins. In 26 minutes off of the bench, the senior guard hit five triples on his way to a career-high 20 points. Lindbeck was 5-of-9 from the floor with all of his attempts coming from deep.
APPROACHING A MILESTONE Kirk Speraw has 196 victories and needs just four wins to reach the 200-career victory mark. Speraw would join Eugene "Torchy" Clark as the only two coaches in UCF history to win at least 200 contests.
THE BENCH SQUAD Behind 20 points from Troy Lindbeck, UCF's bench accounted for 33 points against Rollins. In his Golden Knight debut, Lavell Payne totaled nine points in a reserve role.
GREAT STARTS Dating back to the 2001-02 season, the Golden Knights are 14-2 in the month of November. A year ago, the team went 4-0 during the month. The 2004-05 mark included three victories on the way to the BP Top of the World Classic title in Fairbanks, Alaska. Under head coach Kirk Speraw, the team is 23-16 in November.
UCF-NOVA SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTIONS Nova Southeastern forward Paul Sinclair attended Dillard High School in Ft. Lauderdale, the same school that produced UCF's Lavell Payne.
FILLING THE BOX SCORE Making his first start as a Golden Knight, Justin Rose had a complete game against Rollins, recording his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. The 10 rebounds were a career-high. Rose also posted five assists, two steals and two blocks.
STATE SUCCESS UCF will begin the season with seven-consecutive games against in-state opponents. Since the start of the 2001-02 campaign, UCF is 22-9 against in-state opponents. Last season, the squad went 3-2 versus Florida programs after posting a 7-1 mark versus in-state teams in 2003-04.
TORCHY CLARK COURT At halftime against Rollins on Nov. 18, UCF honored a former coaching great when the UCF Arena was renamed "Torchy Clark Court." Eugene "Torchy" Clark, who served as the first head coach in school history, guided the Golden Knights from 1969-83. During his 14 seasons at UCF, the Golden Knights posted a 274-89 (.754) mark and the program became a state and national power at the Division II level, making six NCAA Tournament appearances. In 1978, Clark guided UCF to the Division II Final Four and the team finished the year with a 26-4 record, the best in school history. His 274 victories are the most in school history. The arena floor is the only court at the Division I level in the state of Florida to honor an individual.
PACKING THE HOUSE On Nov. 18, UCF faced cross-town opponent Rollins in front of 3,051 fans - the seventh-largest crowd in UCF Arena history. A year ago, the Golden Knights averaged 1,283 fans.
A HISTORIC CONTEST When UCF meets Stetson at home on Nov. 26, the contest will mark the 1,000th game in school history. UCF played its first game on Nov. 21, 1969, easing past Massey Tech, 99-38, at home.
TOUGH "D" UCF has held its last 10 opponents to below 80 points. The last team to score more than 80 points versus the Golden Knights was Jacksonville on Feb. 12. The Dolphins claimed an 83-82 victory in overtime at home.
ON THE AIR All of UCF's games are aired live on the UCF ISP Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 THE TEAM - AM. "The Voice of the Golden Knights," Marc Daniels, will call the action from courtside. The broadcasts are also available on the world wide web at www.UCFathletics.com.
THIS DATE IN UCF HISTORY On Nov. 22, 2003, UCF opened its season at home, easing to a 92-59 victory over Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. The Golden Knights would go on to a 25-6 season and claim the Atlantic Sun Championship title to earn its first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 1996. Josh Bodden led UCF in the season-opening win, finishing with 21 points and eight rebounds. Gary Johnson hit five threes on his way to 17 points. The hosts shot 56.3 percent from the field and held a 44-28 edge on the glass.
UP NEXT UCF hosts local rival Stetson on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Golden Knights lead the all-time series, 19-15, and have won eight-consecutive games against the Hatters. At home, UCF has a 9-8 series advantage. A year ago, the squads met twice during Atlantic Sun Conference play and UCF won both contests. On Jan. 11 in Orlando, the hosts claimed a 70-66 victory behind 18 points and six rebounds from Marcus Johnson. In DeLand on Feb. 10, Josh Peppers posted 19 points to lift UCF to a 71-62 win.