CHARLESTON, S.C. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF men's basketball team will play for the championship of the 2016 Gildan Charleston Classic Sunday night when the Knights take on defending national champion Villanova at 9:30 p.m. at TD Arena.
The game will be broadcast in front of a nationally televised audience with coverage on ESPN2 with Doug Sherman and Miles Simon on the call. Fans can also listen to the Knights take on the Wildcats on FM 96.9 The Game with Scott Adams calling the action.
Both the Knights (3-0) and Wildcats (4-0) are coming off of convincing semifinal victories on Friday. UCF defeated host Charleston 60-40 with a dominating defense, while Villanova took care of Wake Forest 96-77 with a high powered offense.
Sunday marks the first time that UCF will take on the defending champion in non-conference play since Nov. 25, 2011 when the Knights defeated then defending champ Connecticut 68-63 in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas.
Similar to this week's situation, prior to topping fourth ranked UConn back in 2011, the Knights defeated Charleston in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis by a score of 74-63.
Villanova, which defeated North Carolina on a last second shot to win their second ever national championship last spring, came into the Gildan Charleston Classic ranked no. 3 in the nation and took care of Western Michigan in first round action on Thursday.
The Knights, meanwhile, have won each of their first three games under head coach Johnny Dawkins by at least 20 points. UCF won 80-56 over Nicholls in the season opener and then topped Mississippi State 86-61 in the first round of the Charleston Classic on Thursday.
It is the first time in UCF's Division era – which began in 1984 – that the Knights have won each of their first three games by 20 or more points. The last time that any UCF team had achieved that feat was under head coach Torchy Clark in the 1971-72 season.
Following Sunday's final game of the tournament, the Knights will return to Orlando and prepare for their second home game of the season. UCF hosts Seattle on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. from CFE Arena.
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