ORLANDO – The UCF men's basketball team has never won at Cincinnati in five road games played against the Bearcats. The Knights look to bounce back after a home loss to Wichita State with their first win on the road against Cincinnati, 7 p.m. Wednesday on ESPNU.
Cincinnati (17-8, 10-3), currently tied for the league lead in the American Athletic Conference, welcomes UCF to town having won back-to-back overtime games against Memphis and ECU and seven of their last eight games overall.
The Knights (13-11, 4-8), meanwhile, had recently won a pair of games over ECU and Tulsa before falling to the Shockers, 75-58, last Thursday. UCF has lost four of its last six games, but won its last time on the road, defeating ECU 68-64.
For UCF to continue to climb up The American standings, currently tied with South Florida for ninth place, the Knights will have to win at Cincinnati for the first time.
GAME INFO
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 19
Time: 7 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 nine of its last 13 games, holding an overall record of 13-11 and a league mark of 4-8 heading into Wednesday's rematch against Cincinnati.
- The Knights need a win over the Bearcats to continue to move up The American standings, where they currently stand tied for ninth, but are just a game away from being in 11th.
- UCF looks to avenge a home loss to Cincinnati back on Jan. 11, when the Bearcats won 68-54.
BEATEN BY BEARCATS
- Although UCF has earned two of its most historic wins against Cincinnati - senior day victories over ranked Bearcats squads in both 2017 and 2019 - the team from Ohio has had the best of the Knights since the two teams joined The American prior to the 2013-14 season.
- Cincinnati owns a 12-2 advantage in the all-time series, which began with a 62-48 victory in Orlando on Dec. 30, 1983. The Bearcats won the first eight meetings as the two teams have played each year since 2014.
- The Knights' first win was a 53-49 home victory on Feb. 26, 2017 prior to UCF's run to the NIT semifinals, and their second was a 58-55 win on March 7, 2019 to help propel the Knights to their first at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.
- UCF has not won at Cincinnati in five games played.
LAST TIME AGAINST CINCINNATI
- When the two teams met earlier this season, Cincinnati left Orlando with a 68-54 victory, the fifth straight loss in a five-game losing streak for the Knights.
- The Bearcats shot 50.0 percent from the field and a blistering 56.7 percent in the second half, while holding the Knights to just 1-of-9 (11.1%) from 3-point range in the game.
- Cincinnati outrebounded UCF 34-20 for the game, led by Tre Scott's 11 boards.
- Scott (14), Chris Vogt (13) and Keith Williams (16) all scored in double figures, while The American Preseason Player of the Year Jarron Cumberland was held to just six points on four shot attempts.
- Collin Smith led the Knights with 19 points and nine rebounds, with four assists in the defeat.
EIGHT THREES IN A GAME = GOOD
- The Knights are shooting just 31.7 percent from 3-point range and connect on 6.9 threes per game this season.
- When UCF is hitting from distance it's a good thing. In fact, when the Knights have hit eight or more threes in a game this season, they are 7-1.
- However, when UCF fails to make eight threes in a game, the team is just 6-10.
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