ORLANDO – The UCF men's basketball team aims to sweep the season series against South Florida as the second round of the War On I-4 is set for Saturday in Tampa. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. from the Yuengling Center with coverage on ESPNU and FM 96.9 The Game.
Both the Knights and the Bulls comes into Saturday's contest at 2-6 in league play. UCF holds wins over Tulane and South Florida, while the team from Tampa has wins against Tulane and UConn.
The Knights (11-9) have lost back-to-back games against Wichita State last Saturday and a hard-fought battle to Memphis, 59-57, at home on Wednesday night. South Florida, meanwhile, had lost five straight league games before defeating Tulane 66-52 on the road on Wednesday.
South Florida holds a 22-18 advantage over UCF in the all-time series, but the Knights have won each of the last nine meetings between the two teams, including a 55-54 victory back on Jan. 18 of this season. UCF looks to sweep the season series from the Bulls for the fifth straight time on Saturday.
A win in Tampa would give UCF three more points in the War On I-4 Rivalry Series, which the Knights lead 30-6 going into this weekend. As an athletics department, UCF has won each of the first three series, beginning with the 2016-17 season.
GAME INFO
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 1
Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNU
Radio: FM 96.9 The Game
SETTING THE SCENE
- After starting the season 9-2, the UCF men's basketball team has lost seven of its last nine games, holding a record of 11-9 and a league mark of 2-6 heading into Saturday's War On I-4 matchup with rival South Florida.
- The Knights won back-to-back games at Tulane and at home against the Bulls, before losing a pair of contests at Wichita State and at home to Memphis the last two times on the court.
- The Knights edged South Florida 55-54 at home back on Jan. 18 and looks to continue their recent success against the Bulls on Saturday.
THE WAR ON I-4
- South Florida holds a 22-18 advantage over UCF in the all-time series, which dates back to 1972 when the Bulls won 115-96 in Tampa.
- The Bulls won the first three meetings, before the Knights earned their first victory in the series, a 75-74 triumph in Orlando on Nov. 30, 1974.
- South Florida holds a 12-8 advantage in games played in Tampa.
- Including the win on Jan. 18, UCF has won each of the last nine games between the two teams.
- The last time South Florida defeated UCF was March 4, 2015 in Tampa.
HISTORY OF THE RIVALRY SERIES
- UCF and South Florida made their rivalry official prior to the start of the 2016-17 season, competing head-to-head for points in every sport both schools offer.
- The Knights have won each of the first three series, winning 51-33 in 2016-17, 49-35 in 2017-18, and 70-14 in 2018-19.
- UCF currently leads the 2019-20 series 30-6 as both the men's and women's basketball teams have earned three points by winning the first round of the series this year.
- The Knights look to extend the lead by adding three more points to the total on Saturday.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE BULLS
- UCF has swept the season series against South Florida in each of the last four years and looks to do so again in 2019-20 with a win on Saturday.
- In the 55-54 win on Jan. 18 in Orlando, UCF held South Florida to 35.7 percent shooting and 15.4 percent from beyond the arc.
- Ceasar DeJesus and Dazon Ingram led the Knights with 11 points each, while Collin Smith and Matt Milon added nine points apiece.
- Brandon Mahan had a game-high 10 rebounds in the victory.
- For the Bulls, it was Michael Durr leading the way, going for 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field.
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