Jan. 24, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF's 109-80 win over UTEP at the new UCF Arena last night was historic on several fronts. Not only did the Knights tie the school's single-game field-goal percentage record by shooting 70.2 percent, the squad also placed itself in the Conference USA record book.
The 109 points scored in a league game ranked fourth all-time in C-USA history and were the most since USF totaled 117 against TCU in 2002. The 56 points scored by UCF in the first half was good for third all-time in the league annals.
The 70.2 percent shooting clip from the field was the highest recorded in a C-USA game.
Overall, it was a good evening for the Knights (11-7, 4-0 C-USA), who made 40-of-57 attempts from the floor.
"It was just one of those nights where everything was feeling good, our offense is clicking and I think everyone was taking shots they were supposed to," senior guard Dave Noel (Boynton Beach, Fla./Boynton Beach) said. "No one was forcing anything and we just were knocking down shots."
Noel, who finished with 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting, was one of five Knights that recorded double-digits in scoring. Junior guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla./Tavares) led all players with 24 points.
UTEP has a long and successful basketball history. The program began in 1913 and the Miners claimed the national championship in 1966, but they have rarely seen a foe turn in an offensive performance like UCF did.
The 109 points that UCF scored on Wednesday were the most given up by UTEP since it allowed Arizona State to total 119 in 1961.
UCF plays at SMU on Saturday in Dallas. The squad begins a three-game homestand on Wednesday, hosting UAB at 7 p.m. at the new UCF Arena.
The Knights have six home games remaining this year and the UCF Athletics Association is offering a pair of ticket deals. The C-USA Pack includes tickets to the remaining contests, which are all against C-USA foes, for $90.
The 3-Point Pack provides fans with tickets to games against UAB (Jan. 30), Houston (Feb. 2) and Rice (March 1) for $39. That package also includes a ticket to the UCF women's game versus East Carolina prior to the men's contest on Feb. 2.
Call 407-UCF-1000 to learn more about the ticket packages.
For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel, log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also check out www.ucfphotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
Notes: In their first season at the new UCF Arena, the Knights have played in front of a school-record 48,888 fans in just 10 home contests. A year ago, 43,296 spectators saw the Knights play 16 home games at the old UCF Arena... The crowd of 5,183 at the UTEP game was good for fifth all-time in program history... Taylor, who ranks third overall in C-USA in scoring at 20.9 points per game, has recorded 376 points this season in 18 games. In 2006-07, he scored 395 points in 31 contests.