BYU and UCF face each other for the only time during the regular season on Saturday in Orlando, Fla., in a game that carries huge NCAA Tournament implications for both teams.
BYU (14-6, 5-4 Big 12) seems to be catching fire at the right time. The Cougars picked up their first Quad 1 victory of the season after outlasting Baylor 93-89 in overtime on Tuesday. Freshman Kanon Catchings turned in his best game of the season, scoring 23 points on 8-of-8 shooting off the bench, to help BYU win three straight Big 12 games for the first time since joining the league.
It was a breakout moment for Catchings, who had lost his starting role after failing to score in double figures since BYU’s Big 12 opener against Arizona State.
“You don’t miss a shot, I guess you can call that a breakout game,” BYU coach Kevin Young said. “Yeah, he was tremendous. Happy for him, because obviously he has had a couple of bumps in the road, and he has stayed the course.”
Catchings’ game was a microcosm of BYU’s collective improvement after struggling on offense earlier in January.
During BYU’s three-game winning streak, the Cougars have averaged 85.3 points per game while shooting 49.3 percent from 3-point range. BYU has made an average of 11.3 3-pointers per game in the three wins.
Stopping the Cougars will be a challenge for UCF. The same story is true for BYU when it comes to the Knights.
UCF (13-7, 4-5) is just as well-equipped to light up the scoreboard. The Knights pushed Kansas to the brink in a 91-87 loss to the Jayhawks on Tuesday. They are averaging 85.0 points per game over their last three contests while shooting 41.8 percent from 3-point range. UCF has made 12.7 3-pointers per game during that stretch.
Keyshawn Hall has keyed much of that offensive production, averaging 23.8 points over his last five games — including a 34-point effort against Kansas. He is scoring 18.0 points per game on the season, ranking third in the Big 12.
“I’ve just been playing free and not thinking too much,” Hall said. “I’m just having fun with the game. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s been fun.”
BYU and UCF met three times last season, with the Cougars winning all three games.
