Jan. 19, 2006
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ORLANDO - UCF returns to Conference USA play on Saturday, hosting Tulsa at Torchy Clark Court at UCF Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Golden Knights enter the game with a 7-8 overall mark and a 1-1 record in C-USA action. Tulsa is 7-9 and 2-1 on the year.
UCF has held its last seven opponents to below 70 points and ranks second in the league and 47th nationally in scoring defense (62.5). Both UCF and Tulsa are competing in C-USA for the first time this season. Tulsa comes to C-USA from the Western Athletic Conference, while UCF was in the Atlantic Sun.
Tickets for the game are still available. Call (407) UCF-GOLD for more information or to purchase tickets.
UCF-Tulsa will be aired live on the UCF ISP Sports Network and its flagship station, WQTM - 740 THE TEAM. Marc Daniels will have the call from courtside. Audio of the contest is also available on www.UCFathletics.com as part of the "Golden Knights All-Access" package.
UCF LAST TIME OUT South Dakota State rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit to post a 69-64 victory over host UCF on Wednesday. The Golden Knights shot 65 percent from the floor in the first half, but made just six field goals in the second stanza. The Jackrabbits closed the second half with a 21-6 run. Josh Peppers scored 15 points in the losing effort and Anthony Williams chipped in with 13 points. Justin Rose recorded a career-high three blocks for UCF.
ABOUT TULSA The Golden Hurricane claimed their second-straight contest on Wednesday, topping visiting Marshall, 66-57. Brett McDade scored 17 points for Tulsa. The hosts made just seven first-half field goals, but recovered in the second half, shooting 53.8 percent overall.
McDade (11.9 ppg) leads a balanced scoring attack. Anthony Price (11.6 ppg) and Darold Crow (10.6 ppg) are also averaging double-digits in scoring. On the year, Tulsa is averaging 63.2 points a game, but allowing 66.9. Led by McDade, who is shooting 79.6 percent from the charity stripe, the Golden Hurricane are the shooting 70.8 at the line, the second-best mark in the conference. The squad is committing a league-high 20.6 turnovers pre game. Tulsa is 2-6 on the road in 2005-06.
SERIES HISTORY UCF and Tulsa are meeting for the first time since Dec. 4, 1989 when the host Golden Hurricane earned a 78-48 win. Tulsa has won both series meetings, also taking a 69-58 contest at home on Dec. 19, 1981.
UCF-TULSA CONNECTIONS UCF and Tulsa squared-off on the gridiron this past season. The squads met in the inaugural C-USA Football Championship Game on Dec. 3 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando. In front of a national television audience on ESPN, the Golden Hurricane claimed a 44-27 victory. The contest was played in front of 51,978 fans - the largest crowd for a home game in UCF history.
BLOCK PARTY Anthony Williams ranks fourth among all Conference USA players, averaging 1.27 blocks per game. He has 19 blocks on the year. A year ago in his first season at UCF, Williams totaled 53 blocks which ranked fourth on the program's single-season register. Williams is seventh all-time at UCF with 72 swats.
THE INJURED LIST Kirk Speraw announced on Jan. 5 that senior center Will Bakanowsky and junior guard Mike Battle will both redshirt this season. Due to injuries, Bakanowsky and Battle have not appeared in any of the Golden Knights' games in 2005-06.
UCF's starting center a year ago, Bakanowsky has not played for precautionary reasons due to concussions. In 2004-05, he made 26 starts and averaged 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest. Bakanowsky has not seen action since UCF's contest at the 2005 NCAA Tournament when he scored 15 points and added seven rebounds against Connecticut.
Battle, a transfer from Paris Junior College in Texas, was expected to compete for a starting guard spot. He has not played due to a stress fracture of the tibia. Last year, he averaged 9.5 points per game and helped lead Paris to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I title.
TOUGH "D" UCF has held its last 24 opponents to 80 points or below. The last team to score more than 80 points versus the Golden Knights was Jacksonville on Feb. 12, 2005. The Dolphins claimed an 83-82 victory in overtime at home. Only two of UCF's last 10 opponents (Western Kentucky, Marshall) have scored more than 70 points.
CINGULAR WIRELESS KNIGHTS ROUNDTABLE The "Cingular Wireless Knights Roundtable" radio show featuring Kirk Speraw is broadcast each Monday at 6 p.m. The program will air live from the Applebee's on University Boulevard near the UCF campus. Hosted by Marc Daniels, the show airs on 740 THE TEAM - AM (WQTM), the flagship station of the UCF ISP Sports Network. Fans can also listen via the Internet at www.UCFathletics.com. The hour-long program will run through March 13.
THIS DATE IN UCF HISTORY On Jan. 21, 1989, UCF defeated host Nicholls State, 62-61, to earn its lone road victory of the 1988-89 season. Pat Crocklin paced the Golden Knights with 13 points and eight rebounds.
UP NEXT After a pair of games at home, UCF is back on the road on Wednesday, facing East Carolina in a Conference USA contest. The Golden Knights hold a 2-0 edge in the all-time series. Most recently, UCF claimed an 82-72 contest in Greenville, N.C. on Nov. 24, 2001. From the floor, the Golden Knights shot 61 percent for the game and limited the Pirates to just four field goals in the first half.