Wednesday marks the lone regular-season meeting between Cincinnati and UCF as the slumping Big 12 foes square off in Orlando, Fla.
The former American Athletic Conference rivals are halfway through their second seasons in the rugged Big 12, where wins continue to be difficult to come by.
UCF (13-8, 4-6 Big 12) has dropped four of its last five — three losses were by a combined 11 points — following a 95-89 win at Arizona State on Jan. 14. Keyshawn Hall, who scorched the Sun Devils for 40 points, is the conference’s leading scorer in Big 12 contests at 21.3 points per game.
The Knights, who are 1-5 against ranked teams this season, came up short against BYU on Saturday as the Cougars ended the game on an 11-6 run. The 81-75 defeat marked UCF’s third home loss in 13 outings.
“Well, we have to regroup and respond,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said postgame. “Our message stays the same: We have to understand what the game plan is and we have to execute. It’s going to be that simple for us. If we do those things, we give ourselves a chance every night.”
Cincinnati (12-9, 2-8) enters off a 63-50 home loss to West Virginia on Sunday. Day Day Thomas (10 points) made his first start of the season, and Rayvon Griffith provided a spark off the bench with seven points and two assists across 12 minutes.
However, opponents are shooting 47.7 percent (41 of 86) from 3-point range during the Bearcats’ current four-game slide.
“We got a lot of basketball left,” Cincinnati coach Wes Miller said. “We need to figure out a way to play a style and a level of basketball that makes people proud about the way that we wear the jersey. And right now, we’re not doing that, and again, that falls on me.”
Cincinnati has won four straight against UCF, including a 76-74 decision last February in Orlando. Four Bearcats are averaging 10-plus points this season, including Sunshine State products Jizzle James and Dillon Mitchell.
–Field Level Media
