UCF vs. Howard
- Solid win for opening game of the tournament.
- The Knights continue to guard the 3-point line well. Howard went 4-of-14 from deep.
- Howard kept it interesting in the first half due to its effort on the defensive end. Once the Knights opened things up in transition, it was game over.
- The Knights press was very effective early on. It disrupted the tempo of Howard's defense all game.
- Matt Williams can really shoot that 3-ball!
- Great game for Tristan Spurlock... 15 points in 30 minutes of play with a couple of huge fastbreak dunks! That second 2-handed windmill was so impressive that even our esteemed AD Todd Stansbury shouted, "How aboooot that jam!" #canadiansknowbasketballtoo #dunkyouverymuch
- Great stat line for Isaiah Sykes: 12 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
- Howard did a good job of switching from man-2-man back to zone throughout the game. Calvin Newell and Daiquan Walker handled it just fine.

UCF vs. Belmont
- The basketball community knows this was a big-time win for the Knights. Just so you are aware, you will probably see Belmont in the NCAA tourney. I wouldn't be surprised to see them win a game. Great coach, great team... and the Knights took it to 'em.
- I loved the defense and ball pressure by the Knights. It was evident that they came ready to play. It was especially impressive considering it is very difficult to play back-to-back games. - Another double-double for Keith Clanton (26 points, 10 rebounds). He earned every rebound. #MVP
- Kasey Wilson is really coming into his own. I like the way he has been playing as of late.
- Sykes and Newell were strong all night on both ends of the court. Both made big plays when needed.
- Walker played such a great "point guard" game. Nothing fancy, just consistent.
- 28 deflections for the Knights.
- Great poise by the Knights to not panic when Belmont made a run at the end. All great teams make a run late in the game; it's just a part of the game.
#weatherthestorm

Intangibles
- Clanton was poised and active all tournament long. Most deserving of the MVP. #Lassitertrophy
- Vince Gill was in the house. He is a big Belmont fan. I'm more of an Amy Grant fan.
- The man-2-man press with Walker and Williams was really good. #future
- Song of the day was easily "I Knew You Were Trouble" by Taylor Swift. Now I'm not the biggest T-Swift fan, but boy do Taylor Young and I get hyped for that tune. I bet that Puff Daddy guy will remix it soon.
- For the second time this year the best dressed award goes to basketball communications director Doug Richards with the bow-tie/sweater vest combo. Newsflash! If Doug wears a bow tie, I don't care if David Beckham walks through the UCF Arena doors, guaranteed win! #oldmanswag
- Have a safe New Years Eve Knight fans!

The 2013 sports season is here and the Knights are off to a strong start after a great finish to 2012.

Knights fans continue to celebrate UCF's 38-17 win against Ball State in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl. The men's basketball team also won the UCF Holiday Tournament. UCF defeated Howard and then old rival Belmont the following day to keep the trophy in Orlando.

Senior forward Keith Clanton was named the tournament MVP scoring a total of 34 points in both contests and moved into second all-time in UCF's career rebounds with 852. The Orlando native is less than 100 rebounds away from the program's all-time mark, which is held by Ken Leeks with 942 rebounds.

It's basketball heavy this week for the Knights with the Men's team taking on rival USF at home on Wednesday and will close out non-conference play against Florida A&M.

The women's team will close out its non-conference schedule on the road up north in Ohio against Bowling Green.

Keep checking UCFAthletics.com for complete coverage of the Knights and all of us at the UCF Athletic Department hope you and your family have a happy new year as we head into 2013.

Keith Clanton is grabbing rebounds at an impressive rate this season, and with 11 against Belmont on Saturday moved to No. 2 on the UCF career boards list. The senior has 852 rebounds for his career and passed Jerry Prather (1974-78, 849 rebounds) for second.

Clanton is now fewer than 100 boards behind the program's all-time rebounding leader, Ken Leeks. From 1988-92, Leeks grabbed 942 rebounds.

In 2012-13, Clanton is averaging 9.6 rebounds, good for third in Conference USA. No UCF player has finished a season averaging over 9.0 boards since Leeks (9.9) in 1990-91.

The Knights will seek another UCF Holiday Tournament title when they host Belmont Saturday.

• @BelmontMBB (9-3) vs. @UCF_MBasketball (8-3)
• 
  
• UCF Arena - Orlando, Fla. - 7:30 p.m.
• 
  
• Listen on WYGM @740thegame
• 
  
• Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCF_MBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well.

  

• UCF and Belmont will be meeting for the first time since 2005 when both programs competed in the A-Sun #RenewtheRivalry
• The Knights have a 6-3 series edge over Belmont #SeekingSeven
• #UCF will be playing for its sixth UCF Holiday Tournament title #TourneyTime
• The Knights are 8-1 this season when leading at the half #NoComebacks
• No Howard player scored in double digits in Friday's UCF win #GettingDefensive
• Keith Clanton led all players with 11 boards vs. Howard and has 6 double-digit rebound games this year #HittingtheGlass
• Clanton blocked his 182nd career shot vs. Howard to enter the C-USA top-10 swats list #NewKeithontheBlock
• Tristan Spurlock has 25 assists after recording 23 in 33 games a year ago #MovingtheRock
• 13 of Matt Williams' 14 made field goals this year have been 3-pointers #AccuratefromDeep
• Isaiah Sykes is averaging 2.0 steals per game to lead C-USA#TakeitAway

After a long break for Christmas, UCF returns to action against Howard to open the UCF Holiday Tournament.

• @HowardAthletics (3-10) vs. @UCF_MBasketball (7-3)
• 
  
• UCF Arena - Orlando, Fla. - 7 p.m.
• 
  
• Listen on WYGM @740thegame
• 
  
• Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCF_MBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well.

  

• The game is the first of four total contests in two days at the UCF Holiday Tournament #TourneyTime
• #UCF is shooting 51.1 percent overall, compared to 43.2 percent last season #ShotSelection
• UCF recorded 19 assists in the win over Stetson on Dec. 20 #SharetheRock
• Isaiah Sykes' triple-double vs. Stetson was the 14th in C-USA history #TripleTrouble
• Sykes averaged 38.0 minutes in UCF's last four games #EarnedHisVacation
• Tristan Spurlock has 25 assists this year after recorded 23 in 33 games last year #PassItOn
• Kasey Wilson is shooting 62.1 percent from deep to lead the country #3TheEasyWay?
• UCF last met Howard in 2009 and then freshman Keith Clanton had 10 points, 10 boards and 3 blocks#ThrowbackTime
• Clanton needs two blocks to enter the top-10 C-USA career swats list #BlockItOut
• Clanton has made 100-consecutive starts for the Knights #Longevity

Fans looking for some post-Christmas basketball should head to the UCF Arena this weekend. Four games in two days are on tap for the UCF Holiday Tournament.

The Knights will open the event on Friday, hosting Howard at 7 p.m. Belmont will then face Boston University at 9:30 p.m. On Saturday, the consolation game is set for 5 p.m., followed by the championship at 7:30 p.m.

On Friday, the UCF Arena box office will be open before UCF's game against Howard. Tickets each day provide admission to both contests.

UCF Holiday Tournament
Friday, Dec. 28
Howard at UCF, 7 p.m.
Belmont vs. Boston University, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 29
Consolation, 5 p.m. Championship, 7:30 p.m.

On a night when 20 seniors set a school record for the most victories by a senior class in school history, it was an underclassman who shined for the Knights. Sophomore quarterback and Oviedo native Blake Bortles recorded 350 total yards and four total touchdowns in UCF's 38-17 win over Ball State in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl.

The 6-foot-4 gunslinger tied a Beef O'Brady's bowl record with three passing touchdowns and had 271 passing yards. Bortles also ran for a career high 80 yards and one score on the ground. Many of the seniors said they were impressed by his performance.

"Superman," senior linebacker Ray Shipman said. "He made a lot of plays. Being the humble guys he is he's always preaching about the offensive line, but he was huge in the game."

"Blake played like the quarterback we know he is," senior full back Billy Giovanetti said. "Blake was taking over and he was putting the ball in our receivers' [hands], but he played great. You can't ask for anything more from our quarterback."

Bortles finished the season with 3,059 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 285 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.

How impressive was Isaiah Sykes' performance against Stetson Thursday? The junior, who recorded only the third triple-double in UCF history with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, was named ESPN.com's national player of the night after leading the Knights to an 83-66 win.

Here are three quick notes/thoughts on the triple-double and Sykes:

1. The triple-double was just the 14th by a Conference USA player since the league's start in 1995.
   
2. The Detroit native showed off a more well-rounded offensive game Thursday. Not only did he score in the paint and in transition, he hit some long jumpers and even went 2-of-4 from 3-point range. Sykes entered the contest 1-of-3 from deep this year.
   
3. Like Keith Clanton this season, Sykes really fills up the box score. In 37 minutes against the Hatters, he also had three steals.

With only a few hours till kickoff, UCF Knights are ready for the Knights to hit the field and take on Ball State in the 2012 Beef O'Brady's Bowl. Remember to check back at UCFAthletics.com after the game for complete post game coverage of the game.

Finish. It has been the motto of UCF Athletics all year, and it's exactly how the Knights want to wrap up their 2012 season. The Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl is very familiar to UCF after its previous visit in 2009. To get you ready for the showdown with Ball State at the Trop, get all your facts with the bowl edition of 10 Tweetable Tidbits.

• @BSUCardsFB (9-3) vs. @UCF_Football (9-4)
• 
  
• Tropicana Field (28,000 for Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl) - St. Petersburg, Fla. - 7:30 p.m. EST
• 
  
• Watch it live on ESPN or on any mobile device or tablet with WatchESPN. You can listen on WYGM @740thegame (flagship), WFLF 540-AM (Maitland), WDCF 1350-AM (Clearwater), WROD 1340-AM (Daytona Beach), WWCN 770-AM (Fort Myers)
• 
  
• Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCF_Football and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well. For the stat buffs out there, follow on .

• 
  

  

• With a win, #UCF would reach 10 victories for the fourth time in program history (1990, 2007, 2010) #ItsAllAboutTheHamiltons
• According to the Mayan calendar, #BSUvsUCF will likely be the last college football in the world #Finish
• 20 Knights have appeared in 3 bowls & have a chance for sole possession of most wins by a senior class with 34 #GoOutWithABang
• #UCF has topped 40 points 5 times in 2012 and has a shot to reach 500 on the year with the record being 502 in '07 #HalfAGrand
• Speaking of points, #UCF has tied the 2007 squad for most offensive TDs (56) and total TDs (62) in school history #HouseCall
• Lethal with the ball in his hands, Quincy McDuffie is averaging 11.4 yards per touch on offense this year #AllAmerican
• Blake Bortles has thrown 2 touchdowns or more 9 times this year, joining Ryan Schneider as the only other Knight to do it #HitMeForSix
• Led by C-USA Defensive POY Kemal Ishmael, #UCF has recovered 15 fumbles in 2012, one off the school record in '09 #ScoopItUp
• #UCF ranks 7th in the nation in KO return average (26.11), led by McDuffie who leads the country with 34.24 per return #KickIfYouDare
• Did you know #UCF has given up just 51 points in the 1st quarter, including five teams being held scoreless? #Quicksand

Offense
- Now that's the way to respond after a loss. Nothing like scoring 83 points and draining 10 3-pointers to get back on track.
- Isaiah Sykes was so efficient last night it was scary: 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. #tripledouble. Please do not underestimate what it takes to achieve those numbers... so tough! #builtfordtough
- Calvin Newell looked more comfortable with the ball last night. Newsflash, it's really hard to guard his step back jumper.
- Keith Clanton with a solid game vs. a very physical post player in Adam Pegg. 18 points and seven rebounds sounds about right.
- Pretty cool to see Daiquan Walker, Matt Williams and Dylan Karell on the floor at the same time passing to each other.
- It will be fun for me but not so fun for opposing teams when Williams gets his full wind back. He's not even at 90 percent, yet in my opinion he still brings it every night.
- I felt a deep twinge in my ankle at the 11:28 mark. Sykes crossed over Stetson's point guard so bad that I felt the shock waves. I feel your pain bro. - #bobbyhorodyski #walkonswag

Defense
- Stetson came into this game battle-tested having played a very tough road game schedule. They have two all-conference players on their team in Chris Perez and Pegg. Knights gave up 20 to Perez but held Pegg to 10 points and only three rebounds.
- We are starting to see Donnie Jones feeling more comfortable initiating the press. The Knights have the depth to do so now with Newell and Williams back.
- UCF had 29 deflections. Its team defense was active all night!
- The Knights continue to guard the 3-point line well. They held the Hatters to 28 percent shooting from deep
- Walker and Newell are very physical guarding the ball... and that's a good thing. UCF does need to be better late in the shot clock though.

Intangibles
- Bobby Horodyski's crossover/ankle-breaker/dance instructor move late in the second half was SportsCenter worthy. #fearthewalkon
- Song of the night was OneDirection's smash hit You Don't Know Your Beautiful. Somewhere, Marc Daniels was lip-syncing.
- Stetson is in a rebuilding year. They have a great coaching staff and will compete in the Atlantic Sun every year.
- Trust me folks, it's not an easy thing to bounce back from a tough loss a day and a half later. What a great response by the Knights and the coaching staff.
- The Wobble was the song of choice for the ever popular dance cam. How come they never put the camera on me? You hear me UCF Marketing?!?!? I want a shot at the title!
- I'm about to hit the road to watch the Knights take on Ball State in my home county of Pinellas!
- I will see everyone at the UCF Holiday Tournament on Dec. 28! Go Knights!

The Golden Knights Club helps the donors get ready for the Beef O'Brady's Bowl and there are plenty of pregame festivities for the fans to take part in before UCF's game against Ball State. Continue to follow UCFAthletics.com for complete coverage on the Knights.

The Knights took part in their final event before the Beef O'Brady's Bowl and received a visit from a former Heisman Trophy winner. The Marching Knights took part in the "Battle of the Bands" against Ball State and UCF fans got to experience George O'Leary's radio show from Ferg's Sports Bar and Grill during the Bowl Block Party. Continue to check UCFAthletics.com for more information on the Knights.

The team captains make a visit to the All-Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg to put a smile on some faces. The Marching Knights load up and head to the bowl game. This afternoon the band will take part in Battle of the Bands at the Sirata Beach Resort. Continue to check UCFAthletics.com for more coverage of the Knights and more episodes of "Bowlin' On The Bay".

UCF will conclude a busy week Thursday when it hosts old rival Stetson.

• @StetsonMBB (3-7) vs. @UCFMBasketball (6-3)
• 
  
• UCF Arena - Orlando, Fla. - 7 p.m.
• 
  
• Watch on @CSSSports
• 
  
• Listen on WYGM @740thegame
• 
  
• Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCFMBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well.

  

• #UCF has won 12-straight games over the Hatters #SeriesSuccess
• The game concludes a stretch of four contests in nine days for the Knights #ABusyMonth
• The Hatters are UCF's second-most frequent all-time opponent behind Rollins #FamiliarFoes
• UCF is 24-2 against non-league opponents at home under Donnie Jones #NonConferenceConfidence
• Three Knights have hit at least 10 3-pointers so far this year #TripleTrouble
• In UCF's last three games, Isaiah Sykes played 115 of a possible 120 minutes #MajorMinutes
• Kasey Wilson leads the nation in 3FG%, making 60% of his attempts from deep #LovingItFromLongDistance
• Keith Clanton will make his 100th-consecutive start when #UCF hosts the Hatters #Longevity
• Clanton needs three blocks to move into the C-USA career swats list top 10 #NewKeithOntheBlock
• 12 of Daiquan Walker's made field goals this year are 3-pointers #TreySongz

For this edition of Bowlin' On The Bay, UCFAthletics.com speaks with Special Assistant to the Head Coach Manny Messeguer, and looks ahead to Thursday's events. It will be another big day for the Knights, including their second practice at Tropicana Field.

The Knights spent some time on the beach at the beach bash, which was held at the Sirata Beach Resort. UCF also held its football banquet where five players received multiple awards. Watch this episode of "Bowlin' On The Bay" to find out more and continue to check UCFAthletics.com the rest of the week for more updates on the Knights.

The Knights complete their first practice on Tropicana Field as they continue their preparation for the Beef O'Brady's Bowl against Ball State. Also, find out what goes into hosting a football game at a baseball stadium. Continue to check the Knights all week at UCFAthletics.com and for more updates on the football team as well as more episodes of "Bowlin' On The Bay".

Offense

• It was a cold shooting night for UCF. The Knights were able to get open looks, but it was just one of those nights. It happens from time to time.
• Daiquan Walker was great! He provided a much needed spark plug off the bench - 27 minutes, 9 points, 0 turnovers. He seems to be getting more comfortable at the point guard position as the season progresses.
• Keith Clanton was great in post when he wasn't being double teamed. Miami is a very big team and they used that to their advantage. They doubled Clanton almost every time he touched the ball. Like always, he still was able to maintain his composure.
• Kasey Wilson continues to be a 3-point threat for the Knights.
• Miami played mostly man-2-man with the occasional full-court press. Flare screens seemed to bother the Hurricane defense.
• Isaiah Sykes had 9 tough points last night. Every bucket he made it seemed as if there were at least 3 Hurricane defenders around him. You could tell that Miami keyed in on him all game.

• Defense

• I thought the Knights played pretty solid defensively. All five players for Miami could shoot the 3-ball.
• 
  
• Miami made every single 3-pointer with a UCF hand in the face. It was just their night shooting the ball.
• The Knights used a 1-2-2 type zone press towards the end of the game. They didn't get a steal but that's not the point of the press. If you get a steal in a press it's like icing on the cake. The goal of every press is to make you play faster than you want and take time off the shot clock. It may seem like nothing happened if Miami broke the press, but they were not able to initiate their offense until about the 23-second mark of the shot clock. #successfulpress
• There were 21 deflections on the night for UCF.

• Intangibles

• Great Holiday crowd = 5,189 fans.
• Spent some time with MLB star Johnny Damon... nice guy... great Mohawk. He was here supporting the charity fundraiser for our softball team. I asked him what he thought of campus, his response, "I was blown away... truly."
• UCF marketing knocked it out of the park today. An Army Ranger propelled down the rafters to present the game ball #awesome. They parachuted t-shirts down to fans #crazyawesome. They asked all fans who served in military to stand up and be recognized, and there were a lot #gotchills #goAmerica.
• Calvin Newell will have a bounce back game... he's too much of a competitor not to.
• All-American trainer Andy Reber was wearing a sporty pin-striped suit. The best dressed of the day goes to Ben O'Donnell who opted to not wear his gray polo. The gray polo used to be white, but's he's a strength coach and stone washes his clothes. Instead he wore an extra-large anthracite Nike polo #roomtobreathe #musclemilk
• Keith Clanton's beard has a Twitter account called @ClantonsBeard... and its following me. I can't wait for @MarcDanielsHairGel to start following me next!
• See you Thursday as the Knights take on the Hatters of Stetson! Go Knights!

After a fun night on the player VIP cruise, the Knights get ready for the first practice inside Troicana Field. Beef O'Brady's Bowl Executive Director Brett Dulaney says he is very happy to have the Knights in St. Petersburg. Continue to check UCFAthletics.com all week long for more updates on the Knights during their week at the Beef O'Brady's Bowl.

The Knights arrived at their home for the next four nights at the Vinoy Resort and Golf Club. The Knights also take part in their first event at this year's bowl week in the players VIP cruise. Continue to check UCFAthletics.com for more information and updates on the Knights throughout the entire week.

TopDrawerSoccer.com recently published its list of the top players in Conference USA in 2012 and a pair of Knights were recognized. Junior forward Deshorn Brown was No. 6 and senior defender Andrew Quintana was listed at No. 8.

In his first year at UCF, Brown garnered NSCAA All-South Region First Team and All-C-USA First Team honors after recording 13 goals. He led C-USA and ranked fifth nationally in points per game at 1.81 and was tops in the league and sixth in the country in goals per game at 0.81.

A four-year starter at center back, Quintana started all 18 matches this past season. He ranked second on the squad with 1,671 minutes.

Having won three-consecutive contests, the Knights are ready for a big in-state showdown Tuesday when Miami visits the UCF Arena.

• @CanesHoops (6-1) vs. @UCF_MBasketball (6-2)
• 
  
  
• UCF Arena - Orlando, Fla. - 8 p.m.
• 
  
  
• Watch on @CBSSportsNet
• 
  
  
• Listen on WYGM @740thegame
• 
  
  
• Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCF_MBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well.

  

• #UCF will be hosting an ACC team for the first time since the UCF Arena opened in 2007 #ConferenceCall
• 
  
• The game is serving as Military Appreciation Night at UCF #ThanksforServing
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• The Knights lead the nation in 3-point field goal percentage at 44.1 #AccuratefromDeep
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• A year ago, #UCF shot only 30.1 percent from deep #ShotImprovement
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• Isaiah Sykes is averaging a team-high 5.0 assists #TheDish
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• At ODU Friday, Calvin Newell shot 4-of-6 from deep and scored a team-best 17 points #AWelcomeAddition
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• Kasey Wilson has hit 13 triples this year after making 8 3-pointers in 29 games as a freshman #SuperSophomore
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• Tristan Spurlock leads the Knights at the line, shooting 78.1 percent #FeelingFree
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• In two games last week, Keith Clanton shot a combined 85.7 percent #OnTarget
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• Clanton has moved to 7th in #UCF history in career scoring with 1,397 points #ScoringOnUp
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It's the day the Knights head to St. Petersburg in this edition of "Bowlin' On The Bay". On Tuesday morning, UCF will have its final practice before hopping on the bus and heading to the Beef O'Brady's Bowl to take part in all of the bowl's activities by the bay. For many of the underclassmen and newer Knights it's their first bowl with UCF, and all of them have enjoyed the bowl experience so far. Continue to check UCFAthletics.com all week for more updates on the Knights and "Bowlin' On The Bay" daily updates.

The Knights finish up their final afternoon practice in Orlando on a warm Monday evening. After a team dinner, the players received their bowl gifts for the Beef O'Brady's Bowl and continue to get excited to head to St. Petersburg. Continue to follow UCFAthletics.com for complete coverage of the Knights' bowl trip and for daily updates on "Bowlin' On The Bay".

In this edition of "Bowlin' By The Bay", many members of the UCF football staff including the athletic trainers and equipment managers talk about what they have to do to prepare for the bowl. On Tuesday, the Knights will leave Orlando and head to St. Petersburg for the Beef O'Brady's Bowl against the Ball State Cardinals. Continue to follow UCFAthletics.com for complete coverage of UCF's bowl trip and daily "Bowlin' By The Bay" Reports.

It's a huge week for UCF athletics. The action begins on Tuesday when the Miami Hurricanes basketball team brings a 6-1 record to the UCF arena to take on the 6-2 Knights. It's the first meeting between the two since UCF knocked off the Canes' 84-78 in 2010 in a game in Sunrise, Florida. The victory gave UCF a 10-0 start to the season.  Donnie Jones' team will hit the hardwood again on Thursday when rival Stetson visits. UCF has won 12 straight over the Hatters.

The basketball win at Old Dominion gave UCF a glimpse of how good junior guard Calvin Newell can be. After struggling in his first game of the season against Bethune Cookman, Newell hit his first shot at ODU and scored 17 in the big road win. The Knights are among the national leaders in field goal percentage and sophomore Kasey Wilson has quickly become one of the better shooting forwards in the nation.

The big week of sports is highlighted by Friday's Beef O'Brady's Bowl in St. Petersburg. UCF faces off against Ball State, who is seeking the school's first ever bowl win. The Knights are focused on a 10^th win and the school's second bowl win.

Follow me on twitter @UCF_MarcDaniels for notes, news and more and get all your UCF sports news at www.ucfathletics.com

UCF will play its lone road game this December when it heads to Virginia to meet Old Dominion.

• @ODUSports (1-8) vs. @UCF_MBasketball (5-2)
• 
  
• Constant Center - Norfolk, Va. - 7 p.m.
• 
  
• Listen on WYGM @740thegame
• 
  
• Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCF_MBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well.

  

• #UCF is 3rd nationally in FG percentage at 52.0 #SureShot
• The Knights will be seeking their third-straight win when they play Friday #Streaking
• The game is the second of four contests in nine days for the Knights #BusySchedule
• The Knights own a +7.4 rebounding margin in 2012-13 #HittingtheGlass
• #UCF is averaging 15.6 assists this year, compared to 11.4 assists a year ago #SharetheRock
• #UCF will be playing its first game outside of Florida this season #TravelTime
• A native of Woodbridge, Va., Tristan Spurlock will be playing in his home state Friday #VaNative
• Keith Clanton is shooting 62.7 percent from the floor this year #OnTarget
• After totaling seven double-doubles a year ago, Clanton has five double-doubles already this season #SeeingDouble
• Kasey Wilson is shooting 56.3 percent from 3-point range in 2012-13 #DialingInFromLongDistance

Offense
- The Beard...err, I mean, Keith Clanton was the man last night! 30 points, 13 rebounds and four assists.
- Clanton shot 14-of-15 from the floor. Marc Daniels couldn't make that on a Little Tikes hoop. #fearperfection
- Now begins the era of Calvin Newell at point guard. Newell is a scoring point guard who can get hot in a hurry.
- Newell was a little rusty in his first game with the Knights, but I thought had a very solid "point guard" game. This dude is a freak athlete.
- I loved the way Tristan Spurlock played on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he was efficient and smooth all night.
- Although the Knights were only 3-12 from the 3-point line, teams cannot play zone effectively anymore against UCF. There are too many outside threats for the Knights: Clanton, Spurlock, Rod Days, Newell, Daiquan Walker, Kasey Wilson and Matt Williams are all capable 3-point shooters.
- Bethune-Cookman could not stop Isaiah Sykes in transition... he's too strong, too fast and too efficient with the ball in his hands.
- This team continues to love to share the ball, 19 assists for the Knights. #hotpotato

Defense
- I thought Bethune-Cookman ran some pretty good offensive sets. The Knights handled it well. Nothing fancy, just good ol' fashioned grind it out basketball.
- The Knights ran mostly man-to-man with a little 2-3 zone sprinkled in.
- My favorite part of Newell's game? His defense... tenacious on the ball.
- Spurlock with 11 rebounds and 3 steals... that's what I'm talking about!
- I continue to be impressed by Staphon Blair's no fear attitude in the post.
- What did I tell you about Sykes, Bethune? If he is running behind you while you are streaking for fastbreak layup, please stop, just stop... because he will kindly supply you with a refund every time.

Intangibles
- I don't care if there are 100 students at the game or 1,000... if you shoot an air ball in the UCF Arena, you will not hear the end of it. #tradition
- There are a lot of guys that can score on this team. The Knights must continue to share the ball well, like they have been doing, in order to be successful.
- All-American trainer Andy Reber wore a great stockbroker type pin striped suit. Impressive. However, the best-dressed award goes to UCF's favorite Allstate agent, Scott Rose. He was seen sporting a crushed black velvet sport coat. #thevelvetfog #seinfeldtrivia
- Tough road game for the Knights Friday. They face the always well coached Old Dominion team. - Come on out next Tuesday as the Knights face Miami at home. The Hurricanes were ESPN's Andy Katz's team of the week last week. This will be a good one.

Keith Clanton's shooting performance was one to remember in Wednesday's win over Bethune-Cookman. The senior forward, who scored a career-high 30 points and added 13 rebounds, made 14-of-15 attempts from the field and did nearly all of his scoring inside the paint.

The effort was the best shooting performance by an NCAA Division I player since 2008 when Stephen F. Austin's Matt Kingsley hit 15-of-16 shots against Jackson State.

Clanton's field goal percentage (93.3) was good for third on both the UCF and Conference USA single-game register.

As a result of his strong showing against the Wildcats, the former Orlando Christian Prep start is now shooting 62.7 percent from the floor this season.

Robert Ferguson has seen his fair share of big games take place at Tropicana Field over the past 20 years. The owner of Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill hosts anywhere from 2,000-10,000 fans for every home Tampa Bay Rays game, and he has his staff geared up for the festivities prior to the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl on Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Before UCF and Ball State meet on the gridiron, Ferg's will serve as party central beginning at 5 p.m. on Dec. 20 with the Bowl Block Party. The UCF Alumni Association will be aiding with the free event, and Knights fans are encouraged to register HERE with the first 250 to sign up receiving a commemorative cup and a drink ticket.  

You can catch the George O'Leary Radio Show beginning at 5:45 followed by a jam session with the UCF Marching Knights to get fans ready for the showdown with the Cardinals. Ferg's is also an excellent spot to hang out on gameday as it is just a short walk to the stadium.

"We were very happy when UCF came over in 2009," Ferguson said. "They brought thousands upon thousands of fans and a great crowd. We see people from Orlando all the time. We have lot of alumni in the area and they love coming to Ferg's. They are going to have a great time, and I hope you guys win." 

Following a long break for final exams, the Knights are set to face Bethune-Cookman Wednesday evening.

• @BCUAthletics (4-6) vs. @UCF_MBasketball (4-2)
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• UCF Arena (10,000) - Orlando, Fla. - 7 p.m.
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• Listen on WYGM @740thegame
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• Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCF_MBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well.

  

• #UCF ranks 1st nationally in 3-point FG percentage at 44.6 #GoingDeep
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• The Knights have won 7-straight games over the Wildcats #Streaking
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• The game vs. Bethune-Cookman is the first for the Knights in 11 days #TimetoPlay
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• The contest will serve as the UCF debut for Calvin Newell #TalentedTransfer
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• Daiquan Walker and Matt Williams combined to make 12 3s and score 36 points vs. Florida Tech #RatedRookies
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• All 10 of Walker's made field goals this year have come from 3-point range #LovingtheLongDistance
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• Keith Clanton is the third player in program history to record 800 career boards #HittingtheGlass
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• Clanton is shooting 55.0 pct from the field, after shooting 46.1 pct a year ago #ShowingImprovement
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• Vs. Florida Tech, Kasey Wilson recorded his first career double-double (16 pts, 11 reb) #SeeingDouble
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• Isaiah Sykes leads the Knights with 30 assists this year #PasstheRock
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When it was finalized that the football team would be making the trip to St. Petersburg for the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, the thoughts of sunny weather and white sandy beaches were engrained in my mind. When the staff made the two-hour drive to scope out all of the destinations for bowl festivities this past Thursday, it became apparent that St. Pete is the perfect bowl destination.

Location, Location, Location

It's mid to late December. Everywhere on television are shots of snow here and windy/cold temperatures there. In St. Pete this past week? It was 82 degrees with barely a cloud in the sky.

The first stop on the site visit brought us to the Sirata Beach Resort smack dab on the Gulf of Mexico. This bustling hotel will be home to the beach bash and battle of the bands that are set to take place on Dec. 19 from 3-6 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. on Dec. 20, respectively.

With acres upon acres of white sand on the No. 1 beach in the U.S. according to TripAdvisor, it will be quite the setup for both UCF and Ball State players, coaches, support staff and fans to thoroughly enjoy themselves. I heard the 2009 belly flop contest was quite the competition, and I can only imagine what this year's showdown will have in store.

Party Headquarters

Many Tampa Bay Rays fans are probably familiar with one of the best places to go 81+ times a year pre and postgame during the months of April-October. Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill will be home to the bowl block party on Dec. 20 beginning at 5 p.m. the night before the big game.

I've experienced this place first-hand gameday, and I must say the atmosphere is phenomenal. If you are looking to sit down inside, enjoy a drink out on the massive covered patio or head upstairs and enjoy a view of Tropicana Field while you enjoy a meal, then Ferg's has you covered. Speaking of covers, there is also a tunnel under the highway directly to the Trop to ensure everyone in your party arrives safely.

Unique Experience

Anyone can play a bowl game in a football stadium, but what Tropicana Field brings to the mix is a unique venue combining America's pastime with the most popular sport of my generation. It is just one of three bowl games to be played in baseball-only stadiums (Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco and the Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium).

The setup works well with the field arranged along the first-base line all the way from home plate to the right-field bleachers. This allows fans to be as close to the action as possible, especially in the end zones.

Taking the baseball/football combination to a whole new level, I'm petitioning the bowl's administrators for a rousing rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" to be sung in between the third and fourth quarter. I'm pretty sure that timeframe matches well with what would be the seventh-inning stretch.

One For The Road

The best part of the site visit? I'm going to have to go with the Sirata game room. Some of the all-time greats were assembled in this building. You had the Rush 2049 driving simulator, Golden Tee, Bags (corn hole) and last, but certainly not least, a combo of Ms. Pac Man and Galaga.

There are many can't misses on this bowl trip, and this certainly is one you can't pass up. For a trip down memory lane with Ms. Pac Man, check out the video below.

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By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com

UCF will begin preparation for their game with Ball State in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl in St. Petersburg on December 21^st. The Knights will try and post their 10^th win of the season, something a UCF team has done only three previous times. The Cardinals bring a six game win streak into the contest and seek the school's first bowl win. Ball State is 0-5 in bowl games, their last game against Tulsa in the 2009 GMAC Bowl.

Here are some non-football facts about UCF's bowl opponent you may not know. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and has an enrollment of just over 22,000. The school was originally known as Indiana Normal Institute before it was bought by a group of five brothers, the Ball Brothers. Glass manufacturers, the Ball Brothers were philanthropists who are responsible for much of the early industry and social programs around Muncie, Indiana.

The football team's first conference title came in 1942 when Ball State won the Indiana Intercollegiate Conference title. It has won five MAC titles with the most recent being in 1996. The team was ranked as high as 12^thin AP Poll in 2008 when current Michigan Coach Brady Hoke led the team.

Among the famous alums who went to Ball State include David Letterman, Joyce DeWitt who starred in the sitcom Three's  Company, Stedman Graham who is most know as Oprah Winfrey's longtime boyfriend, Jim Davis who created "Garfield" the cat and his cartoon character and sports columnist Jason Whitlock.

Basketball returns this week as Donnie Jones' team faces Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday night before the team's first road game out of state at Old Dominion on Friday.

Major props to all parties involved on moving the basketball game against Stetson to December 20^thso fans can attend that game before heading to St. Petersburg for the bowl game the next day.

Follow me on twitter @UCF_MarcDaniels for notes, news and more and get all your UCF sports news at www.ucfathletics.com

The Knights are shooting the ball exceptionally well from deep this season. UCF currently ranks first nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at 44.6 percent.

The percentage was helped by a 14-of-23 (60.9 percent) performance from deep in its most recent game vs. Florida Tech on Dec. 1. In its last two games, UCF shot a combined 25-of-43 (58.1 percent) from beyond the arc.

UCF's shooting numbers have improved from a year ago. In 2011-12, the Knights made just 30.1 percent of their 3-pointers.

Whenever student- athletes accomplish something on the field fans, coaches and teammates celebrate the achievement. The same can be said for the Knights' accomplishments in the classroom.

For the first time in the fall semester, the UCF Academic Services for Student-Athletes held "A Knights Celebration". The event recognized all of the senior student-athletes who graduated this past semester. 13 Knights were recognized at the event in front of athletic administrators, academic advisors, coaches and other members of the UCF family.

"To actually see it all together at an event like this, I think the students really appreciate this," Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services Kimya Massey said. "Also it's really exciting for us because we hope to inspire them, but they really inspire us to do our jobs on a day to day basis."

"It's amazing when you think about the people that are dedicated to their success," continued Massey. "Between the trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, academic advisors, sport administrators and campus folks. We're really all there for them and we're very passionate about their success."

This past spring semester, the Knights held this same type of celebration for all of its graduating student-athletes. Massey said there were between 70 and 80 student-athletes that were recognized and this is a new tradition the ASSA is going to continue.

St. Petersburg native and women's soccer player Andrea Rodrigues was recognized at the celebration and was a member of this year's Conference USA Tournament Champion women's soccer team. She and her teammates got a lot of recognition for winning that championship, but she's enjoyed the recognition she received at the celebration for her accomplishments in the classroom.

"A lot of people think that athletics is just about what you perform on the field and your championship and everything, but it's about getting an education and being able to balance a lot of your life," Rodrigues said.

Massey says this is a celebration he's seen at many other universities and hopes it will help the student-athletes stay connected to the university after they graduate.

"I think it's really critical in those first couple of years," Massey said. "I think that's when some universities lose some students who sort of go their own way, but we really want to keep in touch with them and make them feel connected."

Tyler Coons is one of five freshmen on the UCF roster this year. The guard grew up in the area, only about a 20-minute drive from campus. He had scholarship offers to play college ball out of state, but instead felt the most comfortable at UCF.

"It felt right, staying here with the great coaching staff and all the great players," Coons said. "I played against some of the players a few times in AAU and felt it was the right place for me."

Attending The First Academy in Orlando, Coons still goes back to visit his old school. He feels like a local celebrity as everyone that he knows at the school talks about coming out and supporting the UCF men's basketball team. It's an amazing feeling for Coons knowing that he gets to play in front of his family and friends.

"Every time I go back to my high school, the people that watched me in high school are talking about how they are going to come and support UCF now," Coons explained.

Coons sees his role on this team as just helping out his teammates and doing all the little things. All Coons really wants to do this year is help the Knights win. He has seen time in four games so far, including the season-opening victory at USF.

During his freshman year there are two things that Coons would like to work on. He mentioned that both his ball-handling and shooting can improve in order for him to be a greater player.

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By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com

UCF will play in its fifth bowl game in school history when it faces the Ball State Cardinals in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl in St. Petersburg on December 21st. The Knights accepted the bowl bid after the tough overtime loss in Tulsa in the Conference USA title game.

The overtime championship game was the first in league history. Much has been made about the fourth quarter punt return by Tulsa's Trey Watts and what did or did not take place on the field. If you missed the many replay angles on Coach O'Leary's weekly television show, the show is available online. Despite the bizarre play, Coach O'Leary points out both teams had chances to win and Tulsa made a few more plays. So congrats to the Golden Hurricane and the same to UCF who won a conference division and has a shot at a 10th win with a bowl victory.

It will go down as one of my favorite plays of the football season. Despite the loss, Rob Calabrese's play to track down a Tulsa player after a blocked extra point is a play I won't soon forget. For someone to go through everything Calabrese did and show the effort and speed to track down a player that looked like he had two easy points should be used by UCF to future teams in regards to never give up on a play. Calabrese's effort was special and should be remembered for a long time.

Don't forget, Donnie Jones' team returns to the court for a December 12th game against Bethune Cookman. Jones may finally have a full roster of players and should be excited about his team. UCF fans saw a glimpse of the future with the debut of freshman Matt Williams who scored 21 points in 13 minutes with seven three-pointers in the win over Florida Tech. Calvin Newell is set to make his debut after the semester ends and the Knights should be a fun team to watch.

Follow me on twitter @UCF_MarcDaniels for notes, news and more and get all your UCF sports news at www.ucfathletics.com

UCF head baseball coach Terry Rooney has done many things for his program in his fifth year on the job. Not only has he created a winning environment with back-to-back regional appearances, but also welcomes back former Knights who have wrapped up their professional seasons.

Every fall, and early in the spring, if you stop by the UCF baseball complex you will see many familiar faces who helped put UCF back on the map. One of those former Knights that works out at the complex is former infielder/outfielder, and current Philadelphia Phillies minor leaguer, Chris Duffy.

By the time the sweet-swinging lefty was done at UCF, he owned nearly all the offensive single-season records in 2010. He shattered the school and Conference USA marks by hitting .447 with an .850 slugging percentage. The Orlando native is also tops is UCF history with 21 homers and 81 RBI in 2010. To top it all off, Duffy was named a finalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award and semifinalist for the NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy while receiving a spot on the Baseball America, NCBWA and ABCA/Rawlings All-America First Teams.

In his journey through the minor league ranks, Duffy ended the 2012 campaign with a .322 batting average with 13 homers, 71 RBI and 27 doubles while playing at low-A Lakewood and high-A Clearwater.

While training at the UCF baseball complex, Duffy recently chatted about his return to campus, playing alongside Ryan Howard while at Lakewood and his appreciation for being able to work out at UCF in the offseason. 

Offense
- Welcome to the Matt Williams show! He had seven trey balls for 21 total points. I can promise you this Knight fans, you will greatly enjoy following his career.... Great player, even better kid.
- I loved seeing 22 assists last night, although we need the turnover margin to decrease.
- Daiquan Walker got the start again. His line = 15pts, 2 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers.
- Solid game for Isaiah Sykes who played wing most of the night. His more natural postion is in attack mode on the wing.
- I liked the Keith Clanton and Kasey Wilson dynamic. They always know where the forward is on the floor. It is hard for opposing teams to guard a small forward and power forward who are as consistent as they are.
- Florida Tech played a multiple of defenses - some man-to-man, full court press, 2-3 zone and a soft 3¼ one-two-two press.
- When teams press the Knights I would like to see Walker attack it more instead of waiting for the trap to come. Sometimes the best way to beat a press is to attack it head on and that will be needed once conference play opens.
- Wilson and Clanton are great when they receive the ball in the middle of the zone. Both are threats to score and distribute.

Defense
- The press is back! It needs to be fine tuned, but with Williams back the Knights have more fresh bodies. Just wait until Calvin Newell enters the lineup!
- 28 deflections on the night. I'll take it.
- The Knights continue to guard the 3-point line very well. Florida Tech only shot 28 percent from deep.
- 48-26 rebounding margin in favor of the Knights #Windex.
- I continue to be impressed by Staphon Blair's consistency on the defensive end. There is so much Ben Wallace in Staphon Blair.
- Sykes had an insane block in the first half, chasing down a Florida Tech player on a fastbreak. If I knew Sykes was behind me on a fastbreak I would probably dribble the ball out or say the rosary... either one is a fairly safe option.

Intangibles
- Folks I hope you can truly appreciate how important it was to Matt Willaims to have a game like that. He loves UCF, loves playing basketball, and is committed to the program. It is great to have that kid back... he has been through quite a tough time recently and I was so happy to see him perform like that.
- All-American trainer Andy Reber was back to his old fashionable self - cream colored suit with a perfectly matched orange tie. However, the fashion winner of the week is clearly UCF Athletics assistant director of communications director Eric DeSalvo. Last Thursday Eric was wearing a red and black flannel button down, tan corduroy pants and a red and green tie that played a Christmas jingle. #embarrassingbutawesome. He wins the Ron Burgundy come see how good I look award.
- Scott Adams was on radio play by play last night. His hair wins awards every time he turns his head.
- It was a very sad day though, Tyler Coons shaved the mutton chops #fearthebarbasol?
- Get ready for the appearance of Calvin Newell! UCF will have so many weapons on offense when he steps on the court.
- The next game is on Dec. 12 vs. Bethune-Cookman. See you there Knight fans!

With Christmas only weeks away, the UCF track and field team got into the holiday spirit by spending time Saturday morning volunteering at the Safehouse of Seminole County.

Twenty-four members of the team helped the shelter, which serves women and children who are victims of domestic abuse, get a little more festive by decorating the house with Christmas lights. The Knights also helped sort gifts - enough to fill 10 shopping carts -- and cleaned the home's outside deck.

Check out some photos of today's community service. 

UCF will play for the first time in over a week when it hosts Florida Tech at the UCF Arena.

• @FTPanthers (3-1) vs. @UCF_MBasketball (3-2)
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• UCF Arena (10,000) - Orlando, Fla. - 4 p.m.
• 
  
  
• Listen on WYGM @740thegame
• 
  
  
• Follow the action all game long with updates from @UCF_MBasketball and @UCF_Athletics on Twitter. Don't forget to "Like" the Knights on Facebook as well.

  

• #UCF has won seven-straight home games over in-state opponents #SunshineStateSuccess
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• The UCF-Florida Tech series dates back to the 1970-71 campaign History
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• At No. 7 Florida on Nov. 23, the Knights' starters scored all 66 of the team's points #FromtheStart
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• UCF is shooting 39.1 pct from 3-point range this year, compared to 30.1 pct a year ago #Going Deep
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• The game is the first of six home contests in December for the Knights #HomefortheHolidays
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• Kasey Wilson scored a career-high 20 points at Florida when he shot 5-of-6 from deep #HeyMrWilson
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• The game vs. Florida Tech will serve as UCF's final contest before Calvin Newell becomes eligible #HelpisOntheWay
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• Keith Clanton has started 95-straight games at power forward #StarStarter
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• Daiquan Walker is averaging 24.0 minutes five games into his freshman campaign #WelcomeFreshman
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• At Florida, Rod Days grabbed a career-best five boards #HittingtheGlass
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