Knights slash Pirates, head to postseason

The Knights are just a week away from closing out the regular season on the basketball court, and they’re looking to do it with a bang after beating East Carolina 64-55 on Feb. 18.

That win returned the Knights (19-7, 8-4) to their winning ways after a stumble last week against Southern Miss.

It also marked one of the biggest games of the season for senior captain A.J. Rompza, who rained down 11 points while grabbing five rebounds and five assists. Another dominant all-around performance came from Isaiah Sykes, who picked up nine points, six rebounds, four turnovers, three assists, three blocks and two steals on the night, without committing any fouls.

The team was led in scoring and rebounding by Keith Clanton, who connected for 16 points and seven rebounds in the win. Marcus Jordan also had a strong night at the basket, shooting for 10 points including a flawless performance from the free throw line, while forcing three turnovers.

The Knights were a rebounding machine against the Pirates, with six players picking up five or more rebounds on the night. That includes newcomer Kasey Wilson, who grabbed six boards to add to his 9 points on the night.

But that rebounding was extremely lopsided, with the Knights picking up only 10 offensive rebounds to give themselves second chance shots. They were experts at snatching away second chances from the Pirates, grabbing 29 boards on the night.

With the Conference USA tournament looming on the horizon, the Knights will be looking to close out the regular season with a series of wins.

The Knights faced the Rice Owls in Houston at press time Wednesday night, but will return for their penultimate home game with a showdown against a surging UTEP (13-13, 6-6), tipping off at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Come Saturday, March 3, fans of longtime fan favorite A.J. Rompza will have one final chance to see him on the home court, tipping off at 7 p.m. against UAB. The last time the Knights faced the Blazers, they edged them by a 48-41 margin, one of the lowest scoring games in UCF men’s basketball history.