ORLANDO – The UCF men's basketball team is back in action on Wednesday as it visits Wichita State for an 8 p.m. tipoff on ESPN+.
UCF nearly overcame a 16-point deficit on the road at Cincinnati but fell short after tying the game at 60-60 with two minutes to go, falling by a final of 73-64. Taylor Hendricks nearly ended the contest with a double-double, finishing the afternoon with 21 points and eight rebounds. It was the third time this season that Hendricks had scored over 21 points and was two points away from tying a career high. Currently, Hendricks is the only player in the nation with 35 or more three pointers, 35 or more blocks and 25 or more dunks. C.J. Kelly and Darius Johnson were also in double digits scoring the ball, adding 17 and 12 points each.
The Knights remain without their starting big man in the middle, Michael Durr, and have been 1-5 in his absence since being diagnosed with a thumb injury after the contest against SMU on Jan. 8. Since then, UCF has allowed an average of 83 points per game, including 76.2 points in regulation. Prior to Durr's injury, the Knights were ranked top 25 in the country in scoring defense, allowing 60.3 points a contest.
Wednesday's contest will be the second and final time that UCF will face Wichita State as a member of the American Athletic Conference during the regular season. The Knights began their final American conference slate against the Shockers, posting a 52-45 victory back on Dec. 28.
UCF is looking for its first victory on the road at Wichita after going winless in five tries. The Knights have won the last two meetings between the two sides.
Wichita State enters the contest with an overall record of 12-11 and a mark of 5-6 in conference play. They have alternated wins and losses over their last seven contests, with the most recent result an 86-75 victory on the road against Tulsa. The Shockers gave No. 3 Houston their best shot, falling by just nine at home. Prior to that, Wichita State visited East Carolina and came away with an 85-72 win.
Jaykwon Walton leads the Shockers in scoring, averaging 14 points per game while shooting 52.8% from the floor and 38.4% from the three-point line. Craig Porter Jr. is close behind in scoring, averaging 12.1 points per game. He adds 6.2 rebounds per game and leads the team in blocks and steals, with 36 and 30 respectively. Porter Jr. did not play in the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season.
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