Dec. 16, 2011
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
| UCF vs. Old Dominion | |
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 17 |
| Time | 5 p.m. |
| Location | Orlando, Fla. | UCF Arena |
| Television | None |
| Radio | UCF IMG Sports Network - 740 AM |
| Tickets | Single-Game | Season |
| Internet Coverage | All-Access | |
| Game Notes | UCF Notes |
| Social Media | @UCF_MBasketball | Facebook |
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF men's basketball team will host a program that has appeared in two-straight NCAA Tournaments on Saturday when Old Dominion visits the UCF Arena for a non-conference showdown. Tipoff for the contest is 5 p.m.
The Knights (7-2) have won six of their last seven contests and are 5-0 at home this season. On Tuesday, junior guard Marcus Jordan (Chicago, Ill.) matched a career high with 28 points to lead UCF past North Carolina A&T. Jordan hit five 3-pointers in the 77-65 victory. He is averaging 17.1 points on the year.
Old Dominion enters the contest 5-4, but the Monarchs have faced a challenging schedule. The team owns victories over USF and East Carolina and played tough against No. 2 Kentucky before falling 62-52. Last year, Old Dominion won 27 games and lost at the buzzer to Butler in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Season tickets are still available by calling (407) UCF-1000 or by visiting UCFAthletics.com. On Saturday, fans can purchase tickets at the UCF Arena box office. UCF students are admitted free with a school ID.
The game will conclude a four-game homestand for the Knights. UCF has won 16-consecutive non-conference home contests.
Fans can listen to the game on the UCF IMG Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game in Orlando. Marc Daniels will call the action from the arena. Live video and statistics will be available at UCFAthletics.com.
Series History
? Old Dominion has a 1-0 edge in the all-time series with the Knights as the Monarchs posted a 61-57 win over UCF on Nov. 27, 1999, in Greenville, S.C., as part of the SoCon Holiday Hoops tournament
? The Monarchs are the first of two Colonial Athletic Association squads that UCF could face this year as James Madison is scheduled to play in the UCF Holiday Classic later this month
? The Knights are 17-19 all-time against current Colonial programs, and that includes a 15-13 mark against former Atlantic Sun rival Georgia State
? UCF last played a member of the Colonial on Dec. 30, 2000, defeating East Carolina, 88-81, at the old UCF Arena
? The Pirates moved to Conference USA the following season
? Donnie Jones' teams met Old Dominion twice during his time as the head coach at Marshall
? The Thundering Herd won at home in 2008, and then host Old Dominion was victorious in 2009
Last Time Out
? Marcus Jordan matched a career high with 28 points to lead the Knights to a 77-65 victory over North Carolina A&T Tuesday at the UCF Arena
? Jordan shot 8-of-17 overall, 5-of-12 from 3-point range and made 7-of-10 shots at the free-throw line
? The Aggies led by seven points midway through the first half, but the Knights recovered to lead 39-26 at the break, and increase their advantage to 18 points in the second half
? Jordan was one of four Knights who finished with double digits in scoring
? UCF finished with a 43-28 edge on the glass
Non-Conference Success
? UCF has enjoyed great success against non-league opponents since Donnie Jones took over the helm of the program prior to last season
? The Knights are 22-3 under Jones versus non-conference foes
? UCF's lone losses against non-Conference USA opponents have all come away from Orlando: at Creighton in the CBI semifinals last season, at No. 24 Florida State on Nov. 14 and vs. Harvard, which was garnering votes in both national polls, at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas on Nov. 26
Home Dominance
? UCF has not lost a non-conference game at home under Donnie Jones
? The Knights are 16-0 at the UCF Arena against non-league opponents since the start of last season
? The team is 5-0 at home in 2011-12
? UCF has four remaining home non-league games this year
? The Knights have not suffered a non-conference loss at home since falling to Jacksonville on Dec. 30, 2009, in the UCF Holiday Classic championship game, and have won 16-straight non-league games in Orlando
Getting Offensive in Orlando
? The Knights are 5-0 at home this season, where they have been productive offensively
? UCF is averaging 71.0 points in Orlando, compared to 60.2 points away from home
? The Knights are shooting 43.0 percent from the floor at home, and 38.3 percent in road and neutral contests
A Challenging Slate
? Old Dominion will serve as the sixth opponent who participated in either the NCAA Tournament or NIT last season in only 10 games this year for the Knights
? The Monarchs played in 2011 NCAA Tournament
? UCF has already faced Florida State (NCAA), UConn (NCAA), College of Charleston (NIT), Harvard (NIT) and Bethune-Cookman (NIT)
? Both of UCF's losses in 2011-12 have come to teams that were either ranked (No. 24 Florida State) or receiving top-25 votes (Harvard)
Scoring Threats
? Thanks to Marcus Jordan and Keith Clanton, UCF is the only team in Conference USA that has two players averaging at least 15.0 points per game
? Jordan is averaging a team-high 17.1 points, followed by Clanton with 16.0 points
Senior Moments
? Jeff Jordan, who played in 92 contests for Illinois from 2007-10, is enjoying his first campaign with the Knights
? The senior has played very well this season for UCF, and his numbers so far this year are exceeding his career statistics from Illinois
? Jordan had a fine outing in the win over North Carolina A&T, registering nine points and six assists
Up Next
? The Knights will play their final non-conference road game of the year Wednesday when they meet host Louisiana
? The Ragin' Cajuns have an 8-2 edge in the all-time series with the Knights, but UCF has won the last two matchups
? The teams met a year ago in Orlando, and the Knights rolled to a 79-58 victory over the Ragin Cajuns' on Dec. 15, 2010