ORLANDO – The UCF men's basketball team is set for another road contest as they visit ECU for a 7 p.m. tip on Wednesday inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
The Knights are coming off a tough loss to No. 3 Houston, a game that saw them down eight at halftime. UCF was unphased and came out of the locker room on fire, scoring nine straight points to take a one-point lead. The Black and Gold built a lead as high as four but couldn't pull off the upset, falling 71-65 to the Cougars.
The contest at Houston was just the third time this season that an opponent has scored more than 70 points. UCF's defense ranks in the top 25 in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense, ranking 18th and 23rd respectively. The Knights hold opponents to an average of 60.4 points per game while the opposition shoots 38.7% from the field.
Darius Johnson was UCF's leading scorer against Houston, netting 17 points. Taylor Hendricks and Ithiel Horton were close behind, tallying 14 each. Hendricks was named as the conference's Rookie of the Week for the fifth time this season, which is just one honor away from tying the conference record.
Brandon Suggs makes his return to ECU after spending his previous three seasons as a Pirate. Suggs has played many different roles with the team this season, averaging 20 minutes a game and shooting 54.5% (6-for-11) from beyond the arc and shooting the same clip from the field (36-for-66). Last year, he averaged 10.1 points per game and 4.1 rebounds a contest while averaging 7.1 and 3.5 this season.
At the helm of ECU this season is Michael Schwartz, a first-year head coach who has led the Pirates to a 10-5 start. They're fresh off a 10-point victory at Wichita State, beating the Shockers on the road by a final of 79-69. The Pirates are also 1-1 in conference play after dropping their opener to Temple in a two-point contest.
Javon Small leads ECU in scoring, averaging 16.4 points a game. Just behind him his Brandon Johnson who nearly averages a double-double with 12.9 points and 9.6 rebounds a game. R.J. Felton is the third and final Pirate to average double digit scoring, posting 11.6 points a game.
The Knights have won 14 straight contests against ECU, with the last UCF loss coming on Mar. 12, 2015 with an 81-80 final in overtime. Overall, the Black and Gold are 28-9 all-time against the Pirates with a 12-4 record in Greenville.
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Gameday app right to your iOS or Android phone. The app provides personalized information for men's and women's teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and even breaking news. Click here to download the app now.
