Nov. 24, 2006
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF men's basketball team improved to 4-0 for the third-straight season on Friday evening, cruising past Florida Tech, 81-37, in non-league action at the UCF Arena. The 37 points scored by the Panthers (1-3) was the third-lowest total by an opponent in Golden Knight history.
Sophomore guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla./Tavares HS) came off the bench to lead UCF in scoring for the third time this year, collecting 15 points. Senior forward Josh Peppers (Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven HS) recorded 12 points and junior guard Mike Battle (Waldorf, Md./Southern Maryland Christian Academy) added 11 points.
All 12 Golden Knights that played notched at least three points each.
"We did some good things in the ballgame," said UCF head coach Kirk Speraw. "We were fairly active on some possessions. We did not allow them to inch back into the ballgame; we kept building upon our lead. But there are still a lot of things that we need to get better at. We cannot be fooled by the score."
UCF's first five field goals came from beyond-the-arc as it built a 23-5 lead early in the first half. While the Golden Knights were on fire from downtown, their defense managed to hold the Panthers to just one field goal in the first 10:48 of play.
Florida Tech went on two long scoreless droughts during the opening half, the first lasting 6:37 and the second occurring over a 7:55 span. The Panthers ended up having more turnovers (13) than points (12) through the first 20 minutes.
After taking a 35-12 advantage into the break, UCF continued its impressive shooting display to finish at an even 50 percent (28-for-56) on the evening.
The Golden Knights held a 45-27 edge on the glass. Freshman forward Tony Davis (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview HS) registered a game-high nine rebounds to with three steals and two blocks.
UCF won by more than 40 points for the first time since Feb. 28, 2004 when it topped Campbell at home by 40. The 44-point victory margin was the second-largest in UCF Arena history.
Sean Zeller led the Panthers offensively, recording all nine points all from 3-point range.
The Golden Knights next contest is set for Monday, Nov. 27 against in-state opponent Jacksonville at home. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the game are available by calling Ticketmaster at 407-839-3900 or visiting ticketmaster.com.
For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights, tickets or apparel, log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF athletics.