Jan. 29, 2012
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
| UCF vs. Palm Beach Atlantic | |
| Date | Monday, Jan. 30 |
| Time | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Orlando, Fla. | UCF Arena |
| Television | None |
| Radio | UCF IMG Sports Network - 740 AM |
| Tickets | Single-Game | Season |
| Internet Coverage | Video/Audio | |
| Game Notes | UCF Notes |
| Social Media | @UCF_MBasketball | Facebook |
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF men's basketball team will take a break from its Conference USA schedule Monday when the Knights host Palm Beach Atlantic at 7 p.m. at the UCF Arena. UCF has won 19-consecutive non-league home games.
The contest will serve as UCF Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night as all UCF faculty and staff members will receive one free ticket to the game. The tickets must be picked up in advance at the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at Bright House Networks Stadium. The ticket office is open Monday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Additional tickets are available at a special rate for faculty and staff members.
Students from all area colleges will receive free admission to the contest. Before the game on Monday, non-UCF students can show their school ID inside the UCF Arena lobby to receive a free ticket. UCF students are admitted free to all home games with a valid school ID.
UCF (15-6) has not lost a home game against a non-conference opponent under head coach Donnie Jones, who is in his second campaign with the Knights. The Knights will be looking to snap a two-game losing skid when they face Palm Beach Atlantic. Junior forward Keith Clanton (Orlando, Fla.) totaled 21 points Saturday against Southern Miss and leads the team in scoring at 15.7 points per contest.
UCF and Palm Beach Atlantic will be meeting for the first time since 1995. The Sailfish are 4-16 this season.
The contest will air on the UCF-IMG Sports Network and its flagship station, 740 The Game in Orlando. Live video and statistics will be available at UCFAthletics.com.
Series History
? The Knights have an 8-2 edge in the all-time series with Palm Beach Atlantic
? The programs have not met since 1995 when the host Knights rolled to a 101-74 victory
? Prior to that matchup, UCF and Palm Beach Atlantic had not played since 1973
Last Time Out
? UCF saw its 16-game home winning streak come to an end Saturday as Southern Miss used a run before intermission and an impressive second half to defeat the Knights, 78-65
? The loss at the UCF Arena was the first for UCF in nearly a year as the team's winning streak started after a loss to Memphis on Feb. 9, 2011
? UCF's home winning streak was tied for the 10th-longest in the country
? The Knights led by 12 points with three minutes to play in the opening half, but the Golden Eagles closed the period on an 11-0 run that was capped by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Darnell Dodson
? Southern Miss then outscored UCF 48-34 in the second half when it shot 50.0 percent overall and made 16-of-22 shots at the free-throw line
? Keith Clanton led the Knights with 21 points
Home Dominance
? UCF has won 19-straight non-league home games
? UCF has not lost a non-conference game at home during Donnie Jones' time in Orlando
? 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
? This year, UCF is 8-0 against non-league foes in Orlando
? Last season, the Knights were 11-0 at the UCF Arena vs. non-conference opponents
? UCF had two extra non-league home games as the team defeated St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island in the CBI in March
Taking a Break
? On Monday, UCF will take a break from Conference USA play when it hosts Palm Beach Atlantic
? The game will mark the first time since 2006, when the host Knights lost to South Dakota State, that UCF has played a non-league foe after C-USA play began
Sunshine Staters
? Since moving into the UCF Arena prior to the 2007-08 campaign, UCF is 12-1 against programs from Florida at home
? UCF has already defeated Saint Thomas, Bethune-Cookman and Stetson this year and will face another Sunshine State program when it hosts Palm Beach Atlantic
? Last year, the Knights went 3-0 against squads from Florida at home
Home is Where the Points Are
? UCF is averaging 69.0 points per game at home, compared to 61.7 points in road and neutral contests
? The Knights' three lowest scoring games this year have all come away from the UCF Arena
End of the Month
? UCF is looking to end a productive month of January with a victory
? If the Knights top Palm Beach Atlantic, they will finish January with a 6-3 mark
? A year ago, UCF went 1-6 during the month
Follow the Leader
? Keith Clanton has led the Knights in scoring in five-consecutive games
? He averaged 16.6 points on 54.5 percent shooting from the floor during the contests
? Clanton is the first Knight to pace the team in points in five-straight games since Jermaine Taylor closed the 2008-09 campaign by leading UCF in scoring in 26-consecutive outings
Consistent Keith
? Keith Clanton has been consistent this season
? The junior averaged 15.7 points while shooting 44.8 percent during non-league play
? Against Conference USA opponents, he is averaging 15.6 points on 47.2 percent shooting
It Takes A Thief
? A.J. Rompza is averaging 3.5 steals in Conference USA games to lead the league
? He has 28 steals in eight contests and no other league player has more than 17 steals in league games
? The senior ranks third in program history with 192 career steals
? A native of Chicago, Rompza needs only two steals to enter the Conference USA career steals top-10 list
A Big Help
? Center Josh Crittle, who is in his first campaign competing for the Knights after transferring from Oregon, has been a big help in Conference USA play, where he is averaging 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds
? The junior averaged 4.2 points and 2.9 boards against non-league foes
? Crittle leads UCF at the free-throw line, shooting 79.4 percent
Up Next
? The Knights will return to the Conference USA portion of their schedule Saturday when they play SMU in Dallas
? SMU has a 4-3 edge in the all-time series and the Knights have never defeated the Mustangs in Dallas
? Both UCF and SMU will join the BIG EAST for all sports in 2013-14 along with current C-USA program Houston