University of Missouri
UCF
Mizzou Takes on UCF at Orange Bowl
12/16/2022 8:45:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| Missouri (9-1) vs. UCF (8-2) | |
| Game Details | Saturday, Dec. 17 • 11 a.m. CT • Sunrise, Fla. • Fla Live Arena |
| Television | Bally Sports Regional Networks (Midwest & Kansas City) |
| Radio | Tiger Radio Network | Sirius XM 382 | Sirius XM App: 972 |
| Game Notes | Missouri | UCF |
| Game Coverage | Live Stats | Twitter: @MizzouHoops | Instagram: @MizzouHoops |
The Missouri men's basketball team returns to action Saturday, meeting UCF in the AutoNation Orange Bowl Basketball Classic. The schools are set for an 11 a.m. CT tipoff on the Bally Sports regional networks.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Missouri is 9-1 through the first 10 games of the 2022-23 campaign.
• Four Tigers are currently scoring in double figures with graduate student D'Moi Hodge leading the way with 16.5 points per game.
• Seniors Kobe Brown and Noah Carter are right behind with 13.3 and 12.2 points, while also leading Mizzou with 5.8 and 5.2 boards.
• Graduate student Nick Honor also adds 10.5 points to go with a team-best 3.4 assists.
• Mizzou ranks third nationally with 90.4 points per game, while allowing 75.9 on defense.
ABOUT THE KNIGHTS
• UCF owns an 8-2 record after claiming a 72-61 victory at SEC foe Ole Miss on Wednesday.
• Taylor Hendricks leads the Knights with 15.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
• C.J. Kelly is second on the team with 10.7 points per game as four Knights score in double figures.
• Jayhlon Young leads UCF with 3.0 assists.
• The Knights average 71.7 points per game, while allowing 60.4.
SERIES HISTORY
• Mizzou has won both meetings with UCF but the two victories have come by just a combined five points in a home-and-home series.
• The Tigers won the first meeting in Orlando in 2017, 62-59.
• MU then claimed a 64-62 home win in 2018. A Jordan Geist triple at the buzzer forced overtime before Mizzou held the Knights scoreless for the final 3:30 of the extra session in the win.
TIGERS VERSUS AAC
• Missouri is 6-2 all-time against the American Athletic Conference since its formation in 2013.
• The Tigers already have one win versus the AAC this season when Mizzou claimed a road victory at Wichita State on Nov. 29, 88-84, in overtime.
ORANGE BOWL CLASSIC
• The matchup between the Tigers and Knights is part of the 28th-annual AutoNation Orange Bowl Basketball Classic.
• The Tigers are making their first appearance, while UCF is making just its second (the Knights defeated Miami in 2010).
• St. John's faces Florida State in the second game of the classic, which features former MU head coach Mike Anderson leading the Red Storm.
9-1 START
• The Tigers are currently enjoying one of their best starts in nearly a decade.
• Mizzou has won nine of its first 10 games for the first time since 2013-14
• With a win Saturday, MU will match its third-best start in the last 40 seasons as only the 1991-92 and 2011-12 teams won their first 11 contests.
NO. 3 IN SCORING OFFENSE
• The Tigers own one of the nation's top attacks this season.
• Mizzou enters the game ranked third nationally with a scoring offense of 90.4.
• The Tigers are also scoring their points thanks to an efficient attack that is making their shots.
• MU leads the SEC and is seventh in the country in field goal percentage (50.7) and ninth nationally in effective field goal percentage (57.9).
AIMING FOR 70 POINTS
• While the Tigers are averaging over 90 points this season, the magic number is just 70 for MU.
• In its last 24 games dating back to last season, Mizzou has won every game it has scored at least 70 points in, while losing each time in failed to reach the mark.
• Overall, Missouri has won its last 13 games when scoring 70-plus points, while falling in its last 19 contests when held under the target number.
DEPTH IN NUMBERS
• Behind Mizzou's productive offense is a number of weapons.
• Through 10 games, eight different Tigers have scored in double figures already this year with six different players leading the team in scoring.
• Additionally, MU has had six players eclipse 20 points in a game this year, while seven different players have recorded at least five assists.
• Four Tigers are currently scoring in double figures – a feat not accomplished by the team since five did so in 2012-13.
CARTER NEARS 1,000 POINTS
• Two Tigers have reached the 1,000-point mark during their career, while another five can still reach the number this season.
• Senior Noah Carter has 998 points during his career and looks to join teammates Nick Honor and Isiaih Mosley in the 1,000-point club.
• While Carter is just two points shy of reaching the milestone, an additional four Tigers are also within 100 points of the number.
