UCF improves to 9-3 on the season heading into conference play
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF men’s basketball team ended its non-conference season on a high note, taking care of visiting Bethune-Cookman by a score of 71-41 Wednesday night at CFE Arena. The Knights will head into the holiday break at 9-3 and start American Athletic Conference play on Dec. 28 at Tulane.
UCF, which still leads the nation in holding opponents to 32.8 percent from the field, was impressive defensively once again on Wednesday. The Knights allowed the Wildcats to shoot just 24.6 percent from the floor and 17.4 percent from beyond the arc.Bethune-Cookman’s 41 points was just one shy of UCF’s best defensive scoring performance of the season. The Knights held Charleston to 40 points in a win on Nov. 18.
“I thought it was one of our best defensive efforts of the season,” UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said. “In studying Bethune-Cookman, they were a team that I knew was really capable of scoring the basketball. I thought our guys really did a good job of following the game plan and locking in defensively for the full 40 minutes.”
The Wildcats (3-10) came in scoring 71.8 points per game on the season, but couldn’t get anything going offensively. Brandon Tabb was averaging 20.8 points and 4.0 three-pointers per game through 12 contests. On Wednesday, the Knights held him to 2-of-12 shooting from the field and just six points in 25 minutes.
UCF scored the final seven points of the first half to take a 38-24 lead into halftime and never looked back. The Knights returned from the locker room and started the second half with an 18-1 run to virtually put the game away with a 56-25 lead nearly eight minutes into the final frame.
The inside-outside duo of sophomore Tacko Fall and senior Matt Williams combined to score 37 out of the Knights’ 71 points on the night. Fall scored 20 points, Williams added 17 and sophomore Chad Brown chipped in a career high 13 to round out the double figure scorers for UCF.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM WEDNESDAY’S WIN
Student manager turned walk-on Anthony Catotti not only played, but scored his first career bucket
– Catotti, a junior, has been a manager since his freshman season.
– Due to the Knights’ depleted roster of eligible and healthy players, Catotti earned the opportunity to practice and dress out with the team.
– He first suited up at Charleston on Nov. 18, but Wednesday was the first time he got into a collegiate game.
– Catotti, a native of Oviedo, played the final two minutes of action and scored on his only shot attempt of the game.
“I was so happy for him. I know he had a lot of people here for him. It was fun to see. I talked to our team, it’s not about how many minutes you play, it’s about what you do with your minutes. I thought his minutes were very productive. The basket was one thing, but just the energy he played with down the stretch of the ball game, he came in and he tried to make an impact. He made that impact through effort.” – Johnny Dawkins
The evolution of Tacko Fall was on display once again, with seventh double-double of the season
Fall finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, and it almost seemed like a quiet night for the 7-foot-6 center.
Fall, who came in leading the nation in field goal percentage at 81.6 percent, was extremely efficient once again, converting 10 of his 11 attempts from the floor. He added 12 rebounds and two blocked shots for good measure. Fall is fifth all-time in UCF history with 101 career blocks.
“It’s exciting. We’re all watching Tacko grow right before our eyes and that’s always fun to see. He’s so efficient around the basket. He’s gaining confidence every game. Watching him improve, watching his work ethic is exciting.” – Johnny Dawkins
Matt Williams passed Mike O’Donnell for third in UCF history with 196 career threes
– Williams scored 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field.
– He made at least five three-pointers for the fourth time this season.
– The senior came into the game leading the American Athletic Conference with 3.6 threes made per game.
– O’Donnell, who played for the Knights from 2005-08 was at the game as an announcer for ESPN.
Chad Brown brings the energy every night, but on Wednesday he also brought offense
The sophomore forward scored a career high 13 points and tied a career high with seven rebounds off the bench. He played just 18 minutes, but was extremely efficient, shooting 5-of-7 from the field. The high energy Deltona, Fla., native added a block and a steal for good measure.
“The one thing I never worry about with Chad is energy. He’s one of the hardest workers we have on our team so I’m excited to see him have success out there. He’s in a period of growth where he hasn’t realized how good he can be. The more times he can play extended minutes; the more confidence he’s going to gain.” – Johnny Dawkins
COMING UP NEXT
UCF will take a break for the holidays and return to action on Dec. 28. Conference play starts at Tulane with tip-off scheduled for 8 p.m. from New Orleans on ESPN3 and the American Sports Network.