ORLANDO – Following a road win at ECU on Thursday, the UCF men's basketball team returns home for the inaugural #UCFinSpace basketball game Sunday against Tulsa. The Knights and the Golden Hurricane are set to tip off at 2 p.m. with coverage on ESPN3 and FM 96.9 The Game.
The Knights (12-10, 3-7) snapped a three-game skid with their 68-64 win over the Pirates on Thursday, leading by as many as 17 points in the second half. The Golden Hurricane (15-7, 7-2), meanwhile, is coming off a home loss to UConn, falling to the Huskies 72-56.
For the first #UCFinSpace game on the hardwood, the Knights will be fitted in custom Nike uniforms, featuring the first suggest mascot – the Citronaut – Canaveral blue outlines, and constellations inside the side sword stripe.
More information, video and photos of Sunday's uniform: https://ucfknights.co/mbbucfinspace20
A limited number of #UCFinSpace uniforms will go up for auction on Monday for Knight fans, with a starting bid of $249. For auction, Click Here.
GAME INFO
Date: Sunday, Feb. 9
Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN3
Radio: FM 96.9 The Game
SETTING THE SCENE
- After starting the season 9-2, the UCF men's basketball team has lost eight of its last 11 games, holding an overall record of 12-10 and a league mark of 3-7 heading into Sunday's game against Tulsa.
- The Knights had lost three straight games to Wichita State, Memphis and South Florida, before going on the road and defeating ECU, 68-64, on Thursday.
- UCF will look to win just its fourth game since Dec. 18 on Sunday against the Golden Hurricane.
TANGO WITH TULSA
- UCF trails Tulsa 13-8 in the all-time series, which began way back on Dec. 19, 1981 when the Golden Hurricane won 69-58 in Oklahoma.
- Since the two teams joined The American, Tulsa has won five out of seven games in the series.
- The Knights have two of the last three meetings, including last season's lone game.
- While UCF has failed to win a single game in Tulsa, it has had success at home against the Hurricane, holding an 8-3 advantage in games played in Orlando.
LAST YEAR AGAINST THE HURRICANE
- Last season, UCF defeated Tulsa 64-62 on Jan. 19 in Orlando in the only meeting between the two teams.
- The Knights had four players in double figures in that win, including Collin Smith, who scored 13 points with four rebounds and three assists.
- The Golden Hurricane had just two in double figures, but neither Daquan Jeffries or Sterling Taplin returned from last year.
- Martins Igbanu is the top returning scorer from that game, putting up eight points in the loss.
#UCFINSPACE TAKES FLIGHT
- The University of Central Florida was founded in 1963 as Florida Technological University, with the mission of supporting the growing United States space program at nearby Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
- The Knights will represent that on Sunday in holding its inaugural #UCFinSpace game.
- The constellations used on the stripe down the side of the jersey and shorts represent roads and buildings on campus at UCF, including Gemini (the name of the road that circles campus and leads to the front of Addition Financial Arena).
- The first suggested mascot of UCF (then FTU) who first appeared on the 1968-1969 school handbook, the year before UCF's inaugural season of men's basketball, 1969-70, was the Citronaut. This is the first time it will ever be worn on the basketball court.
- The custom Nike uniforms utilize canaveral blue in the numbers, as well as outlines of Citronauts and the sword stripe, representing the sky and ocean off Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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