SUNRISE, Fla. – On the heels of a statement victory over the Ole Miss Rebels in their first true road game of the season, the UCF men's basketball team will conclude its brief two-game away stint with a Saturday matinee matchup against Missouri in the AutoNation Orange Bowl Basketball Classic at Sunrise, Florida's FLA Live Arena.
The matchup represents the Knights' (8-2, 0-0 AAC) penultimate contest prior to the start of conference play, and UCF enters the game in search of the first win in program history against the Tigers after going winless in the lone two previous meetings between the schools.
The Black and Gold, boasting wins in eight of their first 10 games and their two losses coming by a combined five points, are fresh off one of their more complete performances on both ends of the court this season. UCF began its tilt with Ole Miss Wednesday night on a 21-0 run and out-rebounded the Rebels 39-32 while never surrendering their lead. Led by 20 points from C.J. Kelly, the senior's second 20-point showing of the year, Taylor Hendricks, Ithiel Horton and Darius Johnson also finished in double digit scoring.
Hendricks has served as one of the Knights' most consistent contributors throughout their non-conference slate. The reigning American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week four weeks running, Hendricks has produced 15 or more points in eight of his first 10 games and leads the team in scoring (15.7) and rebounds (7.1) per game.
The freshman's scoring and rebounding marks are also good for ninth and seventh best in The American, respectively. Behind Hendricks, Kelly (10.7), Johnson (10.2) and Horton (10.0) are now averaging at least 10 points per game, the first time this year UCF has had four in double digits. Kelly has taken a notable step forward offensively of late, scoring at least 16 points in two of his last three games after combining for eight points in his previous three.
Following their season-opening double-overtime defeat, the Knights have made their living on the defensive end of the floor, allowing just 60.4 points per game that ranks second fewest in the AAC and 24th in the nation. UCF is grabbing an average 38.2 rebounds per game, good for fourth-most in The American, on the strength of 12.6 offensive rebounds that ranks second in the conference.
The Knights have also held their own on both sides of the 3-point arc. UCF has drained 83 3-point shots, good for an average of 8.3 per game that ranks third in the AAC, and their team 3-point percentage of 36.9 percent is the second-best mark in the conference. On the other end, the Knights have done their part to limit their opposition's damage from deep, as their opponent 3-point rate of just 27.3 percent is the fourth best mark in The American and 17th in the country.
Awaiting UCF is a Missouri team that has enjoyed an even hotter start to the season than that of the Knights. The 9-1 Tigers only recently suffered their first defeat of the season to the No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks that snapped Missouri's season-opening nine-game win streak.
The Knights' defensive scheme will be tasked with slowing a Missouri offense that averages 90.4 points per game, the third-best offensive production in the nation. Like UCF, the Tigers also boast four players who average at least 10 points per game. Graduate student D'Moi Hodge (16.5) leads the team in scoring, followed closely by Kobe Brown (13.3), Noah Carter (12.2) and Nick Honor (10.5).
Tipoff from FLA Live Arena is slated for 12 p.m. Saturday afternoon. In addition to airing on Bally Sports Florida, the game can be streamed live on BallySports.com or in the Bally Sports app when viewers authenticate with their pay-TV credentials. Fans can also watch the coverage through Bally Sports+, a new standalone streaming service. For more information and to sign up, visit BallySportsPlus.com.
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