Aug. 9, 2005
ALMERE, Holland - Playing its first contest of a six-game European exhibition tour, the UCF men's basketball team had little trouble with its first professional opponent, easing past host Omniworld, 91-57, on Tuesday evening in Almere, Holland.
Junior forward Josh Peppers connected on four treys for the Golden Knights and registered a game-high 25 points. Behind a 7-of-12 performance from the field, senior guard Justin Rose chipped in with 15 points. Sophomore guard Dave Noel had a well-rounded contest, totaling 11 points, nine boards, six assists and five steals.
UCF raced out to a 48-20 lead at the half and never looked back. The team shot 47.3 percent from the field for the game, compared to only 28.6 percent for the hosts. The Golden Knights also forced 23 turnovers.
Senior forward Anthony Williams finished with 12 points and eight boards. Senior guard Troy Lindbeck and sophomore guard Mike O'Donnell both nailed three treys. Lindbeck closed the game with 11 points and O'Donnell had nine points and three assists.
Barry Entius paced Omniworld with 17 points. Off the bench, Pieter Bas de Wilt added 12 points.
The Golden Knights return to the hardwood in Holland on Wednesday evening, facing MSV Noordwijk.
Notes: Prior to their game with Omniworld, the Golden Knights had a long two days of travel. The team left the UCF campus on Monday morning at 9:15 a.m. and departed Orlando for Cincinnati around 11 a.m. After a few hours in Cincinnati, the squad left for Paris at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. The team's flight landed in Paris at 6:30 a.m. local time (12:30 a.m. Eastern). Once in Paris, the Golden Knights had one more flight to catch and landed in Amsterdam, Holland at 9:30 a.m. local time... Sophomore center Adam Gill celebrated his 21st birthday on Tuesday... After arriving in Amsterdam, the team spent some brief time sightseeing on Tuesday, visiting City Hall and also browsing through a local flea market... The Golden Knights encountered cool temperatures in Europe. Tuesday's daytime high was around 55 degrees fahrenheit... UCF played Omniworld's second division squad. This past season, former Golden Knight standout Dexter Lyons played with Omniworld's top squad.