ORLANDO – Winners of four straight, the UCF men's basketball team aims to extend its winning streak to five games when the Knights host Sacred Heart on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Addition Financial Arena.
The Knights (7-2) are coming off of a 79-66 victory over Green Bay on Tuesday night and have two home games remaining before finishing non-conference action on the road at Oklahoma on Dec. 21.
Redshirt junior Ceasar DeJesus has led the UCF offense during the current run, averaging 14.5 points per game and shooting 63.9 percent from the floor. On the season, DeJesus has shot an efficient 56.7 percent from the field, which ranks sixth in The American.
Sacred Heart (6-4), meanwhile, has also won four in a row, with three of those victories coming on the road. The Pioneers have defeated Quinnipiac, UMass-Lowell and Hartford during the streak, all away from home.
Sunday is the second straight game that UCF will be taking on a team for the first time, having defeated Green Bay in the first meeting on Tuesday.
GAME INFO
Date: Sunday, Dec. 15
Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN3
Radio: FM 96.9 The Game
SETTING THE SCENE
- The UCF men's basketball team has won four consecutive games - a season-best - and has started 7-2 overall in non-conference action heading into Sunday's game against Sacred Heart.
- It marks the first meeting between the Knights and the Pioneeers in the history of the two programs. It's the second straight game UCF will face an opponent for the first time...not the third straight.
- UCF is 4-1 at home this season, having defeated Prairie View A&M, Charleston, NJIT and most recently Green Bay, but having lost to Miami back on Nov. 12.
GIVING IT TO GREEN BAY
- The Knights won their fourth straight with a 79-66 victory over visiting Green Bay on Tuesday.
- UCF used balanced scoring once again, putting five players in double figures for the second straight game.
- Collin Smith and Ceasar DeJesus both scored 14 to lead the way, while Frank Bertz put up 11 off the bench, and Dre Fuller Jr. and Darin Green Jr. chipped in with 10 apiece.
- The Knights withstood 75.0 percent shooting by the Phoenix in the second half and 25 points from Amari Davis to cruise to the double digit win.
BALANCED ATTACK
- Through nine games of the 2019-20 season, UCF has four players averaging double figures in scoring and seven averaging at least six points per game.
- Collin Smith leads the way with 14.8 points, while Dazon Ingram and Ceasar DeJesus are at 10.3 per game and Darin Green Jr. is scoring 10.2 per game.
- Dre Fuller Jr., Brandon Mahan and Frank Bertz are all averaging over six points per contest.
- Recently it's been Smith and DeJesus leading the team in scoring, as one has led the way in each of the last five games.
SMITH'S STRONG START TO SECOND SEASON
- Junior forward Collin Smith has shown consistent improvement in his second year at UCF and his third playing college basketball.
- Smith averaged 5.3 points and 4.4 rebounds as a freshman at George Washington, increased that to 8.0 points and 5.2 rebounds last season with the Knights, and now leads UCF and ranks seventh in The American with 14.8 points per game and is grabbing 5.9 boards per contest.
- With Tacko Fall gone this season, Smith has taken on a larger role on both sides of the floor.
- The 6-foot-11 forward ranks seventh in the league shooting 56.0 percent from the floor and has improved his free throw shooting percentage to 69.0 percent as a junior.
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