ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – In its final home game of the regular season the UCF men's basketball team faces its toughest test at CFE Arena yet, hosting No. 15 Cincinnati. The Knights and Bearcats are set to face off for the second time this season Sunday at 3 p.m.
Cincinnati (25-3, 14-1 AAC) comes in tied with SMU for first place in the American Athletic Conference standings and has already assured itself an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats have won 18 of their last nine with three games left on the schedule.
The Knights (18-10, 9-7 AAC), meanwhile, have won three in a row after picking up wins against Tulsa, East Carolina and Temple. UCF is currently in fifth place in The American and just a half-game behind UConn for fourth. The Knights will finish out the regular season at USF next Thursday.
When UCF and Cincinnati met back on Feb. 8 the Bearcats grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and turned the Knights over 16 times to earn a 60-50 victory at Fifth Third Arena. Kyle Washington led Cincinnati with 14 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
The Bearcats hold an 8-0 advantage in the all-time series against the Knights and are 7-0 since the two teams joined the American Athletic Conference. Cincinnati has won all four games of the series played in Orlando.
Sunday will be UCF's third game against a nationally ranked opponent this season, also falling to No. 3 Villanova and the then No. 11 Bearcats, but it will be the Knights' first ranked opponent to visit CFE Arena since 2014. On Feb. 19, 2014 a No. 7 ranked Cincinnati team came to Orlando and won 77-49.
Prior to tip-off on Sunday, UCF will honor its three seniors for their dedication to the program during their time in Orlando. It marks the final regular season home game for Matt Williams, Tank Efianayi and Nick Banyard.
It's also Fan Appreciation Day at CFE Arena with t-shirt, fanny packs, bobbleheads and more available to all fans on a first come, first serve basis. Tailgating on Memory Mall starts at 11 a.m. and there will be free pizza for students at the Knightmare Rewards table in the arena.
Sunday's game will air on CBS Sports Network with Tom McCarthy and Chris Walker calling the action. Fans can also listen to the game on FM 96.9 The Game, the iHeart radio app and the UCF Knights app with Marc Daniels and Taylor Young on the call.
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