GAME NOTES: Having won nine of the past 10 games, the SMU Mustangs will go for another as they hit the road to face the UCF Knights in an American Athletic Conference clash at CFE Arena Sunday.

SMU enters the contest sporting an 11-4 record overall this season, with a 2-1 mark in conference play. The Mustangs are coming off a 73-59 victory over Memphis on Thursday, just five days after SMU had its eight-game win streak snapped by Cincinnati, 56-50.

UCF put a stop to a two-game skid with a tight 79-78 overtime victory over Houston on Tuesday. It was the first conference win of the season for the Knights, who are 8-6 overall and 7-3 at home. SMU will be the first opponent in a two-game home stand.

This matchup between SMU and UCF marks the 12th meeting among the programs in their series history. The Knights hold a slight 6-5 all-time advantage over the Mustangs, although SMU won both games against UCF last season.

SMU put the pressure on offensively against Memphis Thursday night. The Mustangs connected on 51.9 percent of its field goal tries in the game, even though the team made just 1-of-6 from 3-point range in the win. The Mustangs also hit 18-of-26 from the free-throw line to run to the victory. Markus Kennedy came off the bench to score a team-high 21 points, while Yanick Moreira added 15 points and seven rebounds. Ben Moore added 12 points and seven boards, while Keith Frazier chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds. SMU hit on 50 percent of its shots in the first half to open up a 34-21 lead at halftime.

It's been a strong season for Nic Moore, who leads SMU in scoring headed into Sunday's clash at 14.1 ppg. The guard had eight points and eight assists against Memphis, which boosted his team-leading assists total to 75 on the season. Moreira (12.3 ppg) and Frazier (11.0 ppg) round out a trio of double- digit scorers for the Mustangs, who are netting 70.1 ppg on 47.9 percent shooting from the floor (top scoring average in the AAC). Moreira and Ben Moore each own a team-best 6.5 rpg mark, while Moreira has blocked a team-best 26 shots. SMU plays some stifling defense as well, allowing just 60.3 ppg to opponents this season.

With two seconds left to play in overtime UCF's Tuesday night contest against Houston, Brandon Goodwin connected on a 3-pointer to lift his Knights past the Cougars by a single point. Goodwin's heroics ended a two-game losing streak for UCF. Goodwin led the Knights in the win with 30 points, adding in seven rebounds and five assists in 41 minutes of play. Adonys Henriquez chipped in with 14 points, Justin McBride added 12 points with eight rebounds and Kasey Wilson pulled down 10 rebounds to help UCF out.

The Knights have maintained a winning record to this point in the season, but how long that can last with the team averaging fewer points than it is giving up is yet to be determined. UCF enters Sunday allowing the most points per outing (69.9) to opponents in the entire conference. Meanwhile the Knights are netting 67.9 ppg this season on 45 percent shooting. Freshman B.J. Taylor leads the team with 13.6 ppg, while Henriquez checks in with 12.1 ppg. Goodwin, after his 30-point outburst, is just shy of double-figure scoring at 9.9 ppg. Wilson's 4.6 rpg mark is the highest on the team, which brings down 34.5 boards per outing as a unit.

UCF may be riding an emotional high after the team's last-second victory in overtime, but SMU is simply the better team right now. The Mustangs, even on the road, should overwhelm the Knights with a strong offensive effort and tight defense.