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University of Houston Athletics
Cougars Continue Road Swing at UCF
1/13/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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| HOUSTON COUGARS (13-4 • 4-1 American) at UCF KNIGHTS (12-4 • 3-1 American) presented by Maintenance Supply Headquarters | |
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| Time | 3 p.m. (CST) • Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017 |
| Location | CFE Arena (9,465) • Orlando |
| Television | CBS Sports Network Dave Ryan, play-by-play Chris Walker, analyst |
| Radio | KPRC 950 AM Jeremy Branham, play-by-play |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Game Notes | • Houston Notes • UCF Notes • The American Notes |
| Social Media |    |
ORLANDO -- Winners of its first three American Athletic Conference games on the road, the University of Houston Men's Basketball program looks to continue that streak when it takes on UCF at 3 p.m. (CST) Saturday inside CFE Arena.
The Cougars (13-4 • 4-1 American) enter this weekend's contest on the heels of an impressive 74-58 win at East Carolina on Wednesday evening in Greenville, N.C. Houston is currently tied for second in the latest league standings.
Against the Pirates, the Cougars buried 10 of their first 11 shots from the field, including six 3-point attempts, and built a 47-25 lead by halftime, a double-digit advantage they would never surrender.
Returning to his native North Carolina, junior guard Rob Gray led all players with 19 points, while freshman guard Armoni Brooks came off the bench to post a career-high 15 points with three 3-pointers and five rebounds. Junior guard Wes VanBeck added 13 points, while senior guard Damyean Dotson posted 12 points and 10 rebounds for his team-leading sixth double-double of the season.
With Wednesday's win at ECU, the 2016-17 Cougars became only the sixth team in school history and first since 2007-08 to win each of their first three conference road games.
Gray continues to lead the Cougars and ranks a close second in The American with 20.4 points per game, only 0.39 points per game behind league leader Dedric Lawson of Memphis.
Dotson ranks second among the Cougars with 14.9 points per game but leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per contest. The Houston native and Jack Yates High product is one of only three players to rank among the American Athletic Conference's top-9 leaders in both scoring AND rebounding.
Sophomore point guard Galen Robinson Jr. leads Houston and ranks second in the league with 5.1 assists per game. The Houston native and Westbury Christian product needs only 14 more assists this season to become the 18th player in school history with multiple 100+ assist seasons during his career.
VanBeck -- who spent his first two seasons with the Cougars as a walk-on before receiving a scholarship in August 2016 -- leads the Cougars and the league with an .860 free throw percentage and .531 field goal percentage.
TELEVISION/RADIO
Fans can watch Saturday's game on CBS Sports Network with Dave Ryan calling the play-by-play action and Chris Walker providing analysis. To find CBS Sports Network in their local listings, fans can click here..
Fans can listen to Saturdays game with Jeremy Branham calling the action on KPRC 950 AM or by clicking here. Pregame show begins at 2:45 p.m. (CST) Saturday. A subscription to Houston All-Access is required to hear the game online.
ABOUT UCF
• Entering Saturday's game, UCF has posted a 12-4 overall record and is 3-1 in American Athletic Conference play... Pirates are tied for second in latest league standings.
• UCF has won five of its last six games... However, the Knights dropped a 64-49 decision at UConn on Sunday in their most recent decision.
• Against UConn, Knights were outscored 35-18 in the first half and never led in the game.
• Sophomore guard B.J. Taylor led all players with 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting, while senior guard Matt Williams added 11 points with seven rebounds... Sophomore forward Chad Brown came off the bench to grab a team-high eight rebounds.
• This season, Taylor leads UCF and would rank fourth in the American Athletic Conference with 16.6 points per game but does not yet qualify in the statistical rankings after sitting out with injury... Taylor also leads UCF with 4.1 assists per game... Williams ranks second on the team and seventh in the league with 15.3 points per game, while sophomore center Tacko Fall averages 13.4 points and a team-best 10.7 rebounds per game (second in The American)... Senior guard Tank Efianayi is the fourth Knight in double digits with 10.6 points per game.
• Head Coach Johnny Dawkins is in his first season at UCF and his ninth season as a collegiate head coach.
• Has compiled a 168-119 record during his career and is 12-4 during his UCF tenure.
• Previously built a 156-115 record at Stanford (2008-16).
• Dawkins has posted a 1-0 record against Houston during his career... His 2012-13 Stanford team claimed an 86-76 win over the Cougars during the Progressive Legends Classic Championship Round inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
• Saturday's game will be the first time that Dawkins has faced Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers • 1986 graduate of Duke.
UP NEXT
• Following Saturday's game, the Cougars return home for a stretch that sees the team playing two games in three days.
• Cougars play host to Memphis at 8 p.m., Thursday, inside Hofheinz Pavilion... Game will be shown on CBS Sports Network and can be heard on KPRC 950 AM.
• Houston legend and former NBA star Otis Birdsong will serve as an honorary captain prior to that game.
• From there, Houston hits the road on Interstate 45 North to take on SMU at 5 p.m., Saturday, inside Moody Coliseum in Dallas... Game can be seen on ESPNU and heard on KPRC 950 AM.
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TICKETS INFORMATION
Season tickets, single-game tickets, mini-plans and group ticket packages are available to accommodate all budgets. Fans can visit uhcougars.com/tickets, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and follow the appropriate links or call 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647) to order tickets.
Current University of Houston main campus students are admitted FREE to all Men's Basketball games with valid IDs. Main campus students may purchase up to two (2) student guest tickets to each Men's Basketball game for $8 each, based on availability.
Single game tickets begin at only $12 for American Athletic Conference games and $10 for non-conference games.
JOIN the 50-50 CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered team apparel, a signed basketball, invitations to practice, a tour of the $25 million Guy V. Lewis Development Facility, regular updates about the program and much more.
To join the 50-50 Club, fans can call 713-743-9742 or email UHMensBasketball@uh.edu. For more information about the 50-50 Club, levels of giving and benefits, fans can click here.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook and Instagram pages.
