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Men's Basketball Faces UCF in Key C-USA Contest
1/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2012
TULSA, Okla. - The Tulsa basketball team returns to the Donald W. Reynolds Center court tonight for a Conference USA against league co-leader UCF at 7 p.m.
The Golden Hurricane (11-9, 4-2 C-USA) has won four in a row and six of its last eight games. The Knights enter the game at 15-4 overall and 5-1 in league play, and winners of two in a row and seven of their last eight contests. The game will be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network. Live audio and live stats will be available at www.TulsaHurricane.com.
Jordan Clarkson leads the Hurricane, which scores 65.7 points per game, with 15.4 points and 2.6 assists per contest. Scottie Haralson averages 10.6 points and makes 2.8 three-pointers per game, while Steven Idlet scores 9.8 points and grabs 5.3 rebounds per game. Tim Peete also dishes 2.3 assists per outing, while Kodi Maduka leads TU with 6.9 rebounds and adds 8.4 points and 1.8 blocks.
The Golden Hurricane ranks 28th in the nation in rebounding margin, averaging 36.7 rebounds per game to its opponents' 30.3 rpg. The TU defense holds its foes to a .410 field goal percentage and 62.5 points per game - including a .398 field goal percentage and 57.3 ppg in C-USA play. Tulsa also ranks 20th in the country in blocked shots, averaging 5.6 per contest. TU shoots 45 percent from the floor.
UCF is led by Marcus Jordan, who averages 16.1 points and 2.3 assists per game, while Keith Clanton averages 15.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per contest. Isaiah Sykes scores 11.4 points and grabs 6.2 rebounds, and A.J. Rompza adds 7.9 points and 1.5 steals per outing. The Knights score 66.2 points per game, shooting .428 from the floor, .300 from three-point range and .612 from the free throw line, and allow opponents to score 60.3 points, shooting .408 from the field and .299 from downtown. UCF averages 38.1 rebounds and allows 33.6 rebounds per game.
This is the 13th meeting between Tulsa and UCF. Tulsa leads the series, 7-5. UCF won last season in Orlando, 58-57, but the Golden Hurricane took the three previous meetings, winning twice in Tulsa and once in Orlando. The last meeting in Tulsa came on Jan. 16, 2010, a 90-70 Hurricane victory. The series is tied 5-5 since 2005-06 when Tulsa joined C-USA. The seven wins by the Hurricane have come by an average of 11.9 points, while the Knights' five wins have been by an average of 4.0 points. TU is 6-0 vs. UCF in games played in Tulsa.
For all Tulsa men's basketball news and information, visit www.TulsaHurricane.com. Follow Tulsa Athletics on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TulsaHurricane and Facebook at www.facebook.com/TulsaHurricane.
