Dec. 3, 2010
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
Complete Release in PDF Format
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - After posting one of the most memorable victories in program history earlier in the week, the UCF men's basketball team will return to action Saturday, hosting Southeastern Louisiana at 4 p.m. at the UCF Arena. The Knights, who are 6-0 under new head coach Donnie Jones, defeated No. 16 Florida Wednesday, 57-54, to post the second win over a ranked foe in school history.
The game will conclude a busy day on the UCF campus as the football squad hosts SMU in the Conference USA Championship at Bright House Networks Stadium at noon. Fans can show their C-USA Championship Game ticket at the UCF Arena box office Saturday and receive a special $5 upper level (behind the basket) ticket, or an $8 lower level (behind the basket) or upper level (sideline) ticket for the basketball contest.
The contest against the Lions (4-1) will be the first for the Knights since their victory over Florida at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando. UCF got 18 points from sophomore guard Marcus Jordan (Chicago, Ill.) in the win, and sophomore forward Keith Clanton (Orlando, Fla.) added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
The Knights are 6-0 for the first time since 2006-07 and are looking to open the season with seven-straight victories for the first time since the program moved to the Division I level in 1984.
Southeastern Louisiana's lone loss this season came at UNLV on Nov. 17. Trent Hutchin leads the team in scoring at 20.0 points per game.
To avoid traffic congestion, fans attending the football game are encouraged to walk over to the arena for the basketball contest. Fans attending only the basketball game should expect delays entering campus due to departing football game traffic. Access to Garage F for basketball game parking will likely be restricted due to exiting football traffic. Fans attending only the basketball game are encouraged to arrive early and park in Garage D or one of the adjacent surface lots as available.
The UCF Arena box office will be open prior to the game on Saturday. UCF students are admitted free to all home games with a valid school ID.
The game will air on the UCF Sports Network from IMG College and its flagship station, 740 The Game. The broadcast will start following the conclusion of the football postgame show. Marc Daniels will call the action from courtside, and will be joined by former UCF guard Mike O'Donnell. Live video will be available on UCFAthletics.com.
Series Record UCF, 5-3
Last Meeting UCF 92, Southeastern Louisiana 89 - ot (Jan. 11, 1997 in Hammond, La.)
? UCF and Southeastern Louisiana will be meeting for the first time since 1997
? Both schools were members of the Atlantic Sun Conference in the 1990s
? Southeastern Louisiana is one of two schools from Louisiana that the Knights will meet in non-league play
? On Dec. 15, UCF is slated to host Louisiana-Lafayette at the UCF Arena
A Super Win
? When the Knights defeated No. 16 Florida, 57-54, Wednesday at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando, it marked just the second time in program history that the Knights topped a nationally-ranked foe
? UCF's only other win over a ranked team came on Dec. 12, 2002, when the Knights hammered No. 25 College of Charleston, 82-64, at the old UCF Arena
? UCF entered the game versus Florida 1-22 all-time against ranked foes
? The victory was also the first in 10 tries for UCF against the Gators
? UCF had lost its previous two contests against Florida by an average of 30.5 points
? The game, which was televised regionally on Fox Sports Florida, served as the first collegiate contest inside the new Amway Center, which is the home of the Orlando Magic
Going for Seven
? The Knights are seeking a 7-0 start to the season for just the third time in program history, and the first time since the school joined the Division I ranks in 1984
? UCF is 6-0 for the first time since 2006-07
? UCF went 22-9 that year and finished second in Conference USA after going 11-5 versus league foes
? The best start in school history was achieved in 1979-80 when the Knights won 15-consecutive games to open the campaign
Last Time Out
? Behind 18 points from Marcus Jordan, UCF knocked off No. 16 Florida, 57-54, Wednesday at the Amway Center
? The Knights grabbed a 55-52 lead with 24 seconds to play in the game after Jordan hit a pair of free throws, and then clamped down defensively and forced the Gators to miss a pair of 3-pointers that would have tied the game
? Keith Clanton added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds in the win
Welcome Coach
? With the Knights 6-0 to begin the campaign, Donnie Jones is off to the best start by a UCF head coach in his first year since the program's inaugural season
? In 1969-70, Torchy Clark started the program and the Knights won eight-straight games to begin the season, competing mostly against teams from Air Force bases
Strength of Schedule
? Thanks to their five victories over Division I opponents, the Knights are listed at No. 18 in the RPI (Dec. 2/RealTimeRPI.com)
? UCF has already posted victories over a pair of top-75 RPI squads - Florida (24) and USF (67)
? The Florida victory was extra impressive as it was played on a neutral court
? RealTimeRPI.com lists UCF's slate as the 87th-toughest schedule in the nation
Halfway There
? The Knights have excelled in the first half this season and have not entered intermission trailing in any of its six games
? UCF is shooting 58.1 percent in the opening half, compared to 46.8 percent after intermission
Getting Defensive
? UCF did not have its best offensive performance Wednesday against No. 16 Florida, but the Knights clamped down on the defensive end and limited the Gators to a season-low 54 points
? The Knights forced 14 Florida turnovers and hounded the Gators into a 2-of-13 (15.4 percent) shooting performance from 3-point range
The Bench Mob
? Four reserves gave major contributions for the Knights against Florida
? The group, which consisted of Isaac Sosa (7 points), Isaiah Sykes (5), Tom Herzog (4) and P.J. Gaynor (2), totaled 17 points and 13 rebounds
? Florida's bench accounted for just four points
? On the year, UCF's reserves are averaging 33.7 points and 19.0 boards
Home Runs
? The UCF Arena has been a welcome home for the Knights this season as the squad is 4-0 at the facility
? UCF is averaging 86.0 points at home, where the team is shooting 56.0 percent overall
Still Scoring
? Despite its output against Florida, the Knights still rank 26th in the country in scoring at 81.0 points per game
? UCF has scored at least 80 points in four of its six games in 2010-11
Shooters
? UCF's accurate shooting is a big reason why the Knights are 6-0 this season
? The team is shooting 52.3 percent from the floor, which ranks fifth in the country
? The Knights have shot better than 50.0 percent four times this year
The Best Defense
? As impressive as UCF's offense has been to open the year, the team's defense has been just as outstanding
? UCF is limiting its foes to just 53.2 points per game, a mark that ranks third nationally
? Only one of UCF's six opponents (West Florida, 61) has scored more than 60 points against the Knights
The Score
? Averaging a team-best 17.0 points per game, Marcus Jordan has scored in double-figures in all six of UCF's games in 2010-11
? Jordan has paced the Knights in points four times
? As a freshman, he led the team in scoring only three times
Mr. Big Shot
? Marcus Jordan has been accurate with his shot as the sophomore is shooting 56.0 percent overall, 48.0 percent from 3-point range and 85.0 percent at the free-throw line
? All of the numbers are an improvement from his freshman year
? The Chicago native shot 41.3 percent overall, 27.6 percent from deep and 69.8 percent from the line last year
Super Sophomore
? Keith Clanton had a solid rookie year as the Orlando native was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team after averaging 9.7 points and 6.8 boards
? The forward worked hard on his game, and also gained 18 pounds of muscle during the offseason, and has shined early during the 2010-11 campaign
? Clanton is averaging 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds and has already recorded two double-doubles
? He has made 30-of-46 (65.2 percent) of his field goals and 27-of-36 (75.0 percent) of his free-throw attempts
Three's Company
? A year ago as freshmen, Keith Clanton and David Diakite combined to hit six 3-pointers during the year
? The pair must feel better about shooting from deep as the duo combined to drain three triples in the victory over 16th-ranked Florida
? Diakite hit both of his attempts from deep, and Clanton shot 1-of-2 from 3-point range
? On the year, the sophomores have combined to make nine treys
Making an Impact
? Isaiah Sykes logged a season-high 25 minutes in the victory over No. 16 Florida, and the freshman certainly made an impact
? The small forward was a factor defensively on the perimeter, and also totaled five points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal
? Despite being 6-foot-5 and averaging 17.8 minutes per contest, the Detroit native ranks second on the squad in rebounds at 4.2 per game on the year
Major Gains
? Like Isaiah Sykes, P.J. Gaynor spent ample time on the floor during crunch time in UCF's win over No. 16 Florida
? The forward is having a solid year for the Knights as he is averaging 6.7 points in 16.5 minutes of action
? Gaynor is shooting 57.7 percent overall and 70.0 percent at the free-throw line
? Last season, Gaynor averaged 4.9 points on 47.2 percent shooting
Up Next
? The Knights, who do not have any games scheduled during the week due to final exams, will return to action Saturday, Dec. 11, against visiting Bethune-Cookman
? UCF has a 12-7 edge in the all-time series and has won five-straight over the Wildcats, including a 63-50 triumph at the UCF Arena a year ago
? The game will be televised regionally on Bright House Sports Network