UC tries to solve road woes at UCF
Tom Groeschen, tgroeschen@enquirer.com 1:13 p.m. EST January 24, 2015


UC senior Jermaine Sanders (15) said the venue should not matter when playing basketball. (Photo: USA Today Sports/Aaron Doster)

ORLANDO, Fla. – As a senior, University of Cincinnati forward Jermaine Sanders has made a few basketball road trips. Sanders said there is no great mystery to winning away from home, which UC has had some trouble doing this season.

"You've just got to come with a different focus on the road," Sanders said. "The baskets don't change. If you can shoot, you can shoot anywhere. I don't think it matters what arena you're in."

The venue here Sunday for UC will be CFE Arena, where the Bearcats (13-5, 4-2 American Athletic Conference) will face UCF (9-9, 2-5 AAC) at 2 p.m.

UC is 4-0 this season in AAC home games but 0-2 in conference road games. The Bearcats overall are 1-3 in true road games this year, including losses in their last two trips to UConn (62-56) and Memphis (63-50), respectively.

Overall, UC has regained some mojo with a two-game winning streak, having beaten Temple (84-53) and Houston (67-54) at home.

"This is a huge game for us," UC associate head coach Larry Davis said of UCF. "Every one of them is huge, but this one, we've got to get a road victory under our belt against somebody."

This would seem a good opportunity, with UCF one of the league's lesser lights. The Knights were picked by AAC coaches to finish ninth in the league, with UC voted fourth in the preseason poll.

Yet, the home underdog is often a threat. Players are out of their element when traveling, with most Division I basketball trips involving airplanes and hotel stays. Not to mention, hostile crowds at the games. In UC's case, Davis said the real problem lately was 35 combined turnovers in the UConn and Memphis games.

"In those two games we didn't play very well on the offensive end, threw the ball all over the gym, and you're going to get beat," Davis said.

UCF AT A GLANCE

-Freshman guard B.J. Taylor leads UCF with 14.8 points per game. Freshman guard Adonys Henriquez (11.4) and sophomore guard Brandon Goodwin (10.3) also average in double figures. Massive sophomore center Justin McBride (6-foot-10, 325 pounds) averages 7.3 points.

-UCF leads the league in 3-point shooting (38.3 percent) and is second in scoring offense (69.7 ppg), but the Knights are last in the league in scoring defense (72.9 ppg).

-UCF was 13-18 last season and tied for eighth in the league at 4-14, in the debut season for the AAC.

UC AT A GLANCE

-UC is led by sophomore point guard Troy Caupain (9.9 ppg), junior forward Octavius Ellis (9.6) and freshman forward Gary Clark (7.9). Sanders leads UC over the last two games with a 12.5 scoring average and is up to 5.2 overall.

-The Bearcats lead the AAC and rank No. 7 nationally in scoring defense (55.0 ppg), but rank last in the league in scoring offense (63.2).

-UC is 4-0 in its series against UCF, including going 3-0 last season.

-UC's 1-3 record in true road games this season includes a loss at Nebraska, win at North Carolina State, and losses at UConn and Memphis.

-The Bearcats are 1-1 in neutral court games (beat Middle Tennessee, lost to Ole Miss in the Emerald Coast Classic at Northwest Florida State College).

Quote:UC vs. UCF

When: 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: CFE Arena (Orlando)

TV/Radio: CBS Sports Network, 700WLW

Records: UC 13-5 (4-2 AAC), UCF 9-9 (2-5 AAC)

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/c.../22190009/