TAMPA --
The University of Central Florida Knights defeated the University of South Florida Bulls for the second time this season, 75-63 on Wednesday. Four Knights scored in double-digits for the double-digit win.
The Bulls came out strong in the first half, leading the first 12 minutes of play. UCF turned a five point USF lead into a three point lead by the Knights on an 8-0 scoring drive two minutes later, 18-15. UCF would hold onto the lead until an Antun Maricevic three-pointer tied the teams at 26 with 5:16 to play in the first half. The Knights would regain the lead, edging the Bulls 36-33 at halftime.
USF came out of the locker rooms very cold, getting outscored 14-5 to start the second half. The Bulls would never recover, allowing UCF to maintain a double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the game.
The four Knights scoring in double-digits were led by Tacko Fall, who finished with a team high 18 points, B.J. Taylor with 15, Aubrey Dawkins had 14, and Dayon Griffin, who finished with a dozen. Terrell Allen led his team with seven assists while Dawkins was the leader in rebounds, also seven.
For the Bulls, it was Justin Brown who led with 15 points. Brown was followed by David Collins and Antun Maricevic with ten apiece. Brown was perfect 4-4 from the free throw line and 3-3 from beyond the arc.
Statistically the game was close, with most categories leaning mildly towards UCF. The difference in the game, however was the paint, which the Knights unsurprisingly dominated 38-20.
USF men’s basketball coach, Brian Gregory, met with the press after the game. After praising Coach Dawkins and the UCF players, he was asked about what the loss says about the team.
“We got a long way to go,” said Gregory. “To get better every single day… One, it’s a daily process. Two, it’s slow. And, three, it’s hard. You got to be relentless every day and you got to keep doing it when you don’t see the tangible results.”
The Knights are 21-6 (11-4) with the win and headed to Houston on Saturday. The Cougars beat the Knights 77-68 in an early February game. UCF hopes to even the series to bolster their NCAA tournament resume.
The Bulls are still having one of the best seasons in their history, despite falling to 18-10 (7-8) with the loss. They will host UConn for a noon tip-off on CBS Sports Network. They have worked through the toughest part of their schedule, losing to four of the top four teams in the conference. What remains, UConn, Tulane, and SMU offer the Bulls a chance to make their own case for post season play.
