Tulane @ Central Florida preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 14, 2020 ) Central Florida 74, Tulane 55

A pair of American Athletic Conerence teams looking for some momentum square off on Saturday afternoon when Tulane travels to face Central Florida. The Green Wave snapped a nine-game losing streak with a victory over SMU on Wednesday, while UCF is coming off a double-overtime win at Cincinnati on the same night.

Junior guard Teshaun Hightower leads the Tulane offense, averaging 15.6 points, and is coming off a 26-point, nine-rebound performance in the win over the Mustangs. Guard Christion Thompson is second in scoring (13.5 points) for the Green Wave while also leading the team in rebounds (6.3), assists (2.9) and steals (2.0) per game. The Knights have struggled to get consistent offense this season, averaging just 68.8 points as a team, with 6-11 forward Collin Smith leading the way with 12.4 per game. Junior guard Ceasar DeJesus is the only other double-figure scorer (10.1), though freshman guard Darin Green Jr. can get hot, as he averages 9.4 points and 2.1 makes from 3-point range per game.

TIME: Noon ET. TV: ESPNU

ABOUT TULANE (11-15, 3-11 AAC): The Green Wave may have found a formula for success against SMU while becoming more aggressive offensively. Tulane attempted 43 free throws in the win, the first time it has been to the line 40 or more times in a game since taking exactly 40 in a November 2013 contest. It certainly helped that the Green Wave were able to find good shots quite often, especially in the second half when they shot 72 percent (13-of-18) from the field - including 6-of-6 from behind the 3-point line.

ABOUT UCF (14-11, 5-8): Coach Johnny Dawkins may need to adjust his lineup a bit after a breakout performance by freshman Tony Johnson Jr., who came into the game against Cincinnati averaging 2.2 points in 7.8 minutes per game. Johnson had the game of his young career against the Bearcats, playing 47 minutes off the bench and finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds, six assists and six steals. Prior to the game, Johnson had scored over four points just once in 14 appearances this season (16 versus Wichita State) and did not play more than 16 minutes in any outing.

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BUZZER BEATERS

1. Tulane is the top 3-point shooting team in the AAC, hitting 34.4 percent from beyond the arc this season.

2. Knights G Brandon Mahan matched his career high (set when he played for Texas A&M) with 20 points off the bench against Cincinnati.

3. UCF holds a 16-3 advantage in the series all time, winning all seven games played on its home floor and taking the earlier matchup at Tulane 74-55 this season.

PREDICTION: UCF 69, Tulane 62