Dec. 23, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - On Monday evening, the Knights gave head coach Kirk Speraw an early Christmas gift. Speraw's team barely missed any shots as the squad eased to an 85-60 victory over Valparaiso at the UCF Arena.
The Knights, who are 4-0 at home this season, shot 63.3 percent from the field and also connected on 13-of-22 (59.1 percent) of its attempts from 3-point range. The hosts never trailed during the contest and led by as many as 35 points after intermission.
UCF now has three days off as most team members will return home for Christmas. The team will meet on Friday evening for a practice session on campus.
The Knights will return to action on Monday, hosting Penn as part of the UCF Holiday Classic. The following day, the squad will meet either Campbell or Chicago State.
Like any coach, Speraw hates to lose the practice days around Christmas, but also realizes it is important for his players to get a break.
"Basketball and the holiday season don't really mesh very well," he said. "You certainly have to give them time with their families and we want them to have time with them. It will be good for them to get away. Hopefully they can come back refreshed mentally."
What does Speraw expect from the Knights when they return to Orlando Friday? "We have to come back with good focus. I think we have a good holiday tournament (with) people who are going to challenge us. This is going to be an important stretch after the holidays."
The game with Valparaiso started a six-game homestand for the Knights. After the UCF Holiday Classic, the team will host Sam Houston State (Jan. 3) and Holy Cross (Jan. 6). On Jan. 10, UCF will open Conference USA play in Orlando against No. 24 Memphis.
UCF's game with Penn next Monday will begin at 7 p.m. Campbell and Chicago State will open the tournament at 4:30 p.m.
A UCF Basketball Outback Steakhouse Four-Pack is currently available for only $50 by calling the UCF ticket sales office at (407) UCF-1000. The four-pack offers the best seat available at the UCF Arena for the Knights' Jan. 10 contest with national power Memphis. The package also includes tickets to UCF's Conference USA games with SMU (Jan. 28), Houston (Feb. 4) and East Carolina (March 7).
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: Former UCF head coach Torchy Clark attended the Valparaiso game. The first coach in school history, Clark guided the Knights from 1969-83, winning 274 games. A member of the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame, Clark's 1977-78 squad advanced to the Division II Final Four... The Knights have dished out 78 assists in their last four games. On the year, the team is second in C-USA, averaging 15.6 assists per outing... No UCF player logged more than 26 minutes in the win over Valparaiso. Eleven Knights spent 10 or more minutes on the floor.