ORLANDO — All that stands in the way between UCF’s basketball team and the impending Big 12 gauntlet are a pair of in-state, non-conference showdowns before Christmas.
First up, the Knights (9-1) host Florida Gulf Coast (5-6) at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, at Addition Financial Arena. UCF enters on an eight-game winning streak, while FGCU has dropped its last four games dating back to the week of Thanksgiving.
UCF returned from a 10-day break to defeat Mercer 81-63 on Wednesday. Jordan Burks led all scorers with 17 points, and Jamichael Stillwell added 12 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.
Florida Gulf Coast flew 1,600 miles across the country last weekend and fell 75-59 at New Mexico. The Eagles finished a game without a player topping double figures for the first time in three years; Jordan Ellerbee and Rory Stewart had nine points apiece.
Here is a breakdown of Saturday’s game, including a scouting report on the opponent from their beat writer and predictions from The News-Journal’s duo of Chris Boyle and Chris Vinel.
Watch UCF vs. FGCU on ESPN+
UCF basketball scouting report
Mired in a first-half shooting slump, Johnny Dawkins’ team leaned upon its defense to establish an insurmountable lead. The Knights forced 17 turnovers, held Mercer without a field goal over the final 4:25 and crashed the glass for a plus-10 rebounding margin.
Dawkins firmly believes the Knights’ strength lies in their numbers. In UCF’s 10 games, it has had six different top scorers; Riley Kugel (three times) and Burks (twice) are the only repeats. The Knights’ bench averages 31.1 points per game.
Florida Gulf Coast basketball scouting report
FGCU’s trip to New Mexico was its first game played within the Mountain Time Zone since 2007, its inaugural Division I campaign. While the Eagles rank 43rd nationally in steals per game (9.3), they sit 332nd in scoring defense (81.9 ppg). During their four-game slide, the Eagles have sent opponents to the line 130 times.
Notre Dame transfer J.R. Konieczny leads Florida Gulf Coast in scoring (15.9 ppg) and rebounding (7 rpg), and he’s either tied or in sole possession of second for assists (22) and steals (21). Konieczny and junior guard Rahmir Barno are the only two players in the squad to start all 11 games and average more than 30 minutes a night.
UCF vs. Florida Gulf Coast time, TV channel
UCF vs. Florida Gulf Coast score predictions
Chris Boyle: UCF 86, Florida Gulf Coast 61
Chris Vinel: UCF 89, Florida Gulf Coast 66
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF basketball hosts FGCU: Scouting report, predictions, TV channel
Reporting by Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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