Feb. 12, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - At UTEP Wednesday evening, senior guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla.) scored 19 points in the opening 20 minutes. When the Knights host Tulsa at the UCF Arena Saturday, Taylor needs to register only eight points to become the school's career scoring leader at the Division I level.
Taylor has totaled 1,756 points as a Knight. Ken Leeks, who played in Orlando from 1988-92, currently occupies the top spot on the D-I scoring list with 1,763 points. The program joined the D-I ranks prior to the 1984-85 season.
Against the Miners, Taylor matched a career high with 38 points. He connected on 13-of-22 shots from the field. The All-America candidate hit four triples and went 8-of-9 at the free-throw line.
After his performance in El Paso, Taylor is now fifth nationally, averaging 24.5 points. He is averaging 25.8 points in C-USA play. If the season ended today, his scoring average would be good enough for a league single-season record. Robert McKiver of Houston currently occupies the top spot. He averaged 25.4 points in conference action a year ago.
At the UCF Arena this year, Taylor is averaging 28.2 points and is shooting 55.3 percent overall.
Tip-off for the contest against Tulsa is set for 7 p.m. With Valentine's Day set for Saturday, fans can purchase one ticket to the game, and receive a free ticket for their date. To purchase the UCF Valentine's Day promotion, call Ticketmaster at (407) 839-3900 or visit UCFAthletics.com.
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: On Thursday, the Knights made the long trek back to Orlando from El Paso. The travel party departed El Paso at 6 a.m. Mountain. The group flew to Dallas before landing at Orlando International Airport around 2 p.m. Eastern... Senior center Kenrick Zondervan (Hoofddorp, Holland) is averaging 9.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in C-USA play... In league games, junior forward Tony Davis (Sarasota, Fla.) is third in rebounding, averaging 9.1 boards. He paces the conference in offensive rebounds (3.9).