The Connecticut Huskies (20-10) and UCF Knights (12-16) will be playing at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion for this game. Action begins at 2:00 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 6 and can be seen on ESU and ES3.
The Huskies are hoping to rebound after their 80-54 loss to SMU on Thursday. Sterling Gibbs was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points. The Knights, meanwhile, are coming off a 73-65 win against Tulane on Wednesday. Tacko Fall claimed his third double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
The Huskies may have trouble getting to the line in this one. They’re 336th in the nation in FTA rate (29.1), while UCF is among the nation’s least foul-prone squads (yielding a FTA rate of just 24.9, sixth in the country).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Huskies winning the first matchup 67-41. Jalen Adams had a stellar game with 10 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
The Huskies come into this game 20-10 Straight Up (SU) and 12-14-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Huskies have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 59.8 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 72.5 points per game. The Huskies are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .774 from the free throw line. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Huskies. The 62.7 points that Connecticut’s defense allows per game makes them the 11th-ranked defense in the country. The Huskies have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking third in the country with a .384 opponent field-goal percentage.
As for their opponent, the Knights have 12-16 SU and 18-9 ATS records. The Knights average 72.0 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 63.4 points per game during that span. The UCF defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .323 shooting from three-point range. Blocking shots is an area where UCF has excelled. The Knights average 4.8 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
With the Huskies’ last win against UCF, their SU record is now 7-1 over UCF in their most recent games. On the other hand, UCF holds the advantage ATS with a record of 5-3. Connecticut held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, UCF never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – UConn, ATS Winner – UConn
Notes
UCF scores an average of just 69.8 points per game (ranked 194th). Connecticut ranks 11th in points allowed, giving up 62.7 points per game.
In its last game, Connecticut lost by a margin of 26 points. UCF is 2-4 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Connecticut has an 11-1 record in blowouts.
The UCF Knights average 68.4 possessions per game and 1.019 points per possession. The Connecticut Huskies earn fewer possessions with 66.5, but they score more points with 1.091.
The Connecticut Huskies average an effective field goal percentage of 52.0% this season. The UCF Knights have an abysmal record of 1-5 when opponents have an eFG% of 52.0% or greater.
On average, the Connecticut Huskies attempt 19.0 three point field goals per game and the UCF Knights attempt 21.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Connecticut has a 7-5 record and UCF has an 8-11 record.
Connecticut ranks 31st in blocks per game with 5.1 and UCF ranks 39th with 4.8 blocks per game.
Connecticut ranks 269th in offensive rebounds, while UCF ranks 28th in defensive rebounds.
UCF makes an average of 4.6 steals per game. Connecticut has a winning 15-8 record when it allows at least 4 steals.
