Nov. 11, 2004
Box Score
ORLANDO - The UCF men's basketball dropped Saint Leo 73-67 in an exhibition on Thursday night at UCF Arena. Gary Johnson scored a team-high 15 to lead the Golden Knights to the win.
The Golden Knights jumped out to a 30-6 lead, forcing eight turnovers in the opening surge over the first 13 minutes of the game. Josh Peppers led the Knights with seven points in the run. Marcus Avant recorded three thefts to spark the Knights defensively. Saint Leo closed the half with a furious run, closing the half with a 24-6 run to cut the lead to 36-32 at the break.
Saint Leo continued their run into the second stanza, taking a 43-42 lead at the 14:37 mark. The visiting Lions built a 53-46 lead at the 10:51 mark before UCF began their rally. The Knights knotted the score at 57 all at the 7:33 mark and took a 62-61 lead they would never relinquish. Johnson scored nine points over the 4:24 to secure the win for UCF.
Marquis McCullough led all players with 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting, going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc and a perfect 7-of-7 from the charity stripe. He also dished out eight assists. Larry Henderson chipped in 16 points while J.J Turner added 10 for Saint Leo.
Gary Johnson finished with 15 points for UCF and pulled down six boards. Anthony Williams added 14 points and a pair of blocks, going 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. Josh Peppers added 12 points for the Knights while Justin Rose and Marcus Avant each pulled down seven boards.
The Golden Knights begin the regular season at the BP Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska with the host of the tournament Alaska Fairbanks next Thursday.