PHILADELPHIA (UCFKnights.com) –A day after defeating No. 19 Cincinnati at home on Senior Knight, the No. 25 UCF men’s basketball team has made its way to Philadelphia to prepare for the squad’s regular season finale at Temple. The Knights and the Owls will tip-off at 4 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2.
GAME INFO
Date: Saturday, March 9
Time: 4 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 96.9 FM/740 AM The Game
Live Stats: https://ucfknights.co/2UpWCiU
The Knights (23-6, 13-4) have won four games in a row and seven of their last eight, including the last two against Top 25 opponents. The wins at No. 6/8 Houston and No. 19/20 Cincinnati marked the first time UCF has defeated two ranked opponents in a single season.
In order to keep the momentum going, third place UCF will have to pull off another road win, this time at fourth place Temple (22-8, 12-5). The Owls have won back-to-back games and five of their last six, set to return home for their own senior day, which will also serve as the final regular season home game for head coach Fran Dunphy.
UCF and Temple met way back on Jan. 2, the first American Athletic Conference game of the season. The Knights defeated the Owls 78-73 in Orlando, shooting a season-high 60.4 percent from the field. Five Knights scored in double figures, including BJ Taylor, who finished with a game-high 24 points.
The all-time series between the two teams is knotted up at 6-6, but Temple owns a 4-1 advantage in games played in Philadelphia.
NOTES TO KNOW
- UCF had won three games over ranked opponents before Johnny Dawkins got to Orlando. The Knights have won four games over ranked opponents in the three seasons under Dawkins.
- The Knights could finish as high as second in The American or as low as fourth, having already clinched a first round bye in the conference tournament.
- A win on Saturday would give UCF 24 wins, matching the team’s total from the 2016-17 season.
- The Knights are a perfect 22-0 when leading with two minutes to go in the game.
- Tacko Fall has successfully won all 29 tipoffs this season and each of the last 33 dating back to last year.
- The Knights are 5-4 on the road this season.