ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF men's basketball team has two games remaining in the regular season, and the Knights will close it out at home beginning with a match-up with no. 11 Wichita State Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
It will be the second time this season that UCF (17-11, 8-8) will host the 11th ranked team in the nation. Back on Jan. 16, the Knights fell to then no. 11 Cincinnati by a score of 49-38. Only two higher ranked teams have ever visited CFE Arena; no. 7 Cincinnati in 2014 and no. 10 Louisville in 2013.
Just one game out of first place in The American, Wichita State (23-5, 13-3) comes to Orlando riding high on a six-game win streak. Since defeating UCF in Wichita back on Jan. 25, the Shockers are 8-1 with just an overtime loss at Temple on Feb. 1.
In the first meeting between these two teams, UCF was never able to get on track, as Wichita State led wire-to-wire in a 81-62 victory. Shaquille Morris controlled the paint for the Shockers, scoring a game high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field.
The Knights will look to avenge the loss on Thursday by snapping their current two-game losing skid. A win would put UCF back above .500 in The American and it would be the second highest ranked opponent the Knights have defeated in program history.
GAME INFO
Date: Thursday, Mar. 1
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Radio: 96.9 FM/740 AM The Game
Live Stats: http://ucfknights.co/MBBLiveStats1718
NOTES TO KNOW
- Wichita State won the only other meeting between the two teams in history.
- At no. 11, the Shockers are the third highest ranked team to play at CFE Arena.
- Defeating no. 11 Wichita State would mark the second highest ranked opponent UCF has defeated in program history.
- The Knights took down no. 4 UConn on Nov. 25, 2011.
- B.J. Taylor leads the Knights with 14.6 points per game and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark on Feb. 21 at Tulsa.
- A.J. Davis is second in the league with 7.8 rebounds per game and is just 32 points from scoring the 1,000th of his career.
- UCF is third in the nation, holding opponents to 61.2 points per game.
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE GAME NOTES – WICHITA STATE
PROMOTIONS TO KNOW
- First 100 students get chance to win $500 for spring break
- First 600 students get spring break tank top
- UCF football head coach Josh Heupel will be in the building to talk to Knight Nation
PURCHASE TICKETS
Tickets are on sale now. Fans looking to purchase tickets can call (407) 823-1000 or visit UCFKnights.com to secure them today. For men's basketball tickets CLICK HERE.
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