ORLANDO – The UCF men's basketball team heads back on the road for its penultimate game away from home during the 2020-21 regular season, looking for the season sweep of Tulane Saturday in New Orleans. The Knights and the Green Wave are scheduled to tip at 12 p.m. ET with coverage on ESPN2 and FM 96.9 The Game.
The Knights (7-11, 5-10) have won three of their last five games after defeating rival South Florida 81-65 at home on Wednesday night. UCF will have a week off after Saturday's game as Tuesday's contest at SMU was canceled Friday due to positive COVID-19 tests at SMU.
The Green Wave (9-9, 4-8) won their last time out, also defeating South Florida. Tulane has won two of its last three games, also winning at Tulsa, but falling to the Knights back on Feb. 12.
UCF leads the all-time series by a staggering mark of 17-4 and holds a 9-2 advantage in games played in New Orleans. Last season, the Knights won 74-55 at Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse.
Game Information
Date: Saturday, Feb. 20
Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Radio: FM 96.9 The Game
Defense Stepping Up
- The Knights have won three of their last five games with victories over Tulsa, Tulane, and South Florida, and it has been thanks to the best defensive stretch of the season for UCF.
- UCF has allowed just 60.4 points per game over its last five contests, giving up a season-low 49 to Tulane on Feb. 12.
- It marked the first time the Knights have held their opponent under 50 points since holding SMU to 48 points back on Feb. 24, 2019.
- UCF allowed Tulane to shoot just 31.6 percent from the floor and 23.8 percent from 3-point range.
- The Knights allowed only 31.7 percent shooting from the floor and 22.7 percent from long distance in the Feb. 17 win over South Florida.
Big Three in The American
- UCF is the only team in the American Athletic Conference with three players in the Top 20 in the league in scoring.
- In fact, Darius Perry, Brandon Mahan and Darin Green Jr. all rank in the Top 16 in the conference, with Perry leading the way.
- Perry ranks ninth with 14.4 points per game, Mahan is 12 with 13.6, and Green is 16 at 11.3 points per contest.
More Like C.J. Blocker, amiright?
- In his first season with the Knights, C.J. Walker leads the team and ranks second in The American with 1.6 blocked shots per game.
- He has had at least one blocked shot in 15 out of 18 games this season, and has blocked a career-high four shots three times, including in two of the last three games.
- He is also second on the team in rebounding and had his first-career double-double on Feb. 14 at Cincinnati with 12 points and 10 boards.
- In the win over South Florida on Feb. 17, Walker matched a career high with 18 points.
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