Nov. 24, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - On Saturday evening, head coach Kirk Speraw's Knights posted what the Albuquerque Journal called "one of the biggest upsets in Pit history." UCF, down nine points with less than three minutes to play, rallied to register a 72-71 win over the host Lobos.
Back in the office on Monday, Speraw and members of his staff heard from coaches around the country who were impressed by the win. The victory snapped a 33-game home non-league winning streak, the fifth-longest in the nation, for the Lobos. The program's previous loss at The Pit came in 2004 to No. 5 Wake Forest.
"A lot of colleagues across the country have touched base with me about the win. Coaches know how hard it is to win at New Mexico, especially with a young team," Speraw said. "Our guys played with great maturity and intensity Saturday, and hopefully that continues."
The Pit is considered one of the toughest venues in the country. A crowd of 12,707 was on hand Saturday.
Six freshmen played in the game for the Knights. One of the rookies, guard A.J. Rompza (Chicago, Ill.), especially enjoyed playing in the hostile environment.
"I love games like that. There is no other place that I would rather play at," Rompza said. "I love it when everyone is against you."
Rompza and the Knights will have another opportunity to play in front of a tough crowd as the team will continue its five-game stretch of games away from home Wednesday at Ole Miss.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. Eastern and the contest will be aired on the UCF-ISP Sports Network and 740 AM in Orlando.
UCF's next home game is slated for Dec. 6 against cross-state foe USF. Season tickets, which start at just $99, are currently available. To order your season tickets today, and to learn more about the Fastbreak Club and other premium seating opportunities, contact the UCF ticket sales office at (407) UCF-1000.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
Notes: UCF had an afternoon session inside its practice venue Monday afternoon. The squad will leave for Ole Miss Tuesday afternoon... After facing the Rebels, the Knights will head to Mexico for the Cancun Challenge. The team will arrive in the country on Thanksgiving and then open the two-game event Saturday against South Dakota State.