South Florida @ Central Florida preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 27, 2019 ) Central Florida 75, South Florida 63

Bragging rights are at stake Saturday as the first round of this season's War on I-4 - the teams meet again on Feb 1 - tips off in Orlando when Central Florida hosts in-state rival South Florida. The Bulls have lost two in a row after coming up short Sunday in their upset bid against No. 22 Memphis (68-64) while the Knights come in after halting their five-game skid Tuesday, defeating Tulane on the road 74-55 for their first American Athletic Conference win of the season.

"I was really proud of them," UCF coach Johnny Dawkins told reporters after his team snapped the school's longest losing streak since 2016. "From start-to-finish, they played well. They were focused, and for the most part, we didn't have any let-ups." The defense rose to the occasion in the victory, holding a Tulane team that was defeating its opponents by an average of 15 points per game at home to just 17 points on 20 percent shooting from the field in the first half. The Bulls were likewise doing a surprising number on an opponent last time out, but they couldn't hold onto a 14-point lead against Memphis with less than 13 minutes remaining despite another huge game from star guard David Collins, who recorded a game-high 24 points for his 18th career 20-point game. "This is a great rivalry and this is something that we have embraced," Bulls coach Brian Gregory told reporters. "It's very difficult to get a road win in this league. We've played pretty well in league play, but now we need to take another step. We need to keep getting better and we need to make plays down the stretch that help us finish games. It's a big opportunity for a response for our guys. It's going to be a great challenge for us, and we have a lot of respect for them and for Coach Dawkins."

TIME: 6 p.m. ET. TV: ESPNU

ABOUT USF (8-9, 1-3 AAC): Collins is averaging 15.1 points per game to lead the team and he ranks sixth in the AAC, while senior guard Laquincy Rideau sits second with 12.9 points per game, the only two Bulls to average in double figures. Rideau is fifth in the nation in total steals (46) and sixth with 2.7 steals per game and he needs just four more to move into fifth place in conference history with 151. USF is surrendering just 62.7 points per game as the team has held 15 opponents under their season scoring average entering the game.

ABOUT UCF (10-7, 1-4): The Knights had four double-digit scorers against Tulane but surprisingly, Collin Smith (seven points) and Ceasar DeJesus (four), the only two players averaging in double figures for the season - were not among them. Instead, senior guard Dazon Ingram, the team's third-leading scorer with 9.1 per game, stepped up with 15 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for his third double-double of the season while also matching his career best with seven assists. The Knights ended up hitting 46.9 percent of their shots from the floor and a season-best 46.2 percent (12-of-26) from long distance against Tulane, with Darin Green Jr. (4-of-7) and Matt Milon (4-of-8) doing all of their scoring from 3-point range while accounting for eight of the team's season-high 12 3-pointers.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. USF owns a 22-17 advantage in the all-time series, but UCF has won the last eight, including a 75-63 victory in the last meeting.

2. The Bulls rank 26th in the country in turnovers forced with 17.1 per game.

3. UCF's 0-4 start in AAC play was its first since joining a Division I conference.

PREDICTION: UCF 70, USF 67