Dec. 12, 2006
MINNEAPOLIS (www.ucfathletics.com) - Despite 22 points off of the bench from sophomore guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla./Tavares), the UCF men's basketball team dropped a 74-63 contest to host Minnesota at Williams Arena on Tuesday evening. The Golden Knights (6-1) were playing on the road for the first time this season.
The Golden Gophers, who improved to 5-7 with the victory, shot 50 percent from the floor for the game, compared to 33.9 percent for UCF.
The hosts led the entire contest and the Golden Knights cut their advantage to eight with seven minutes to play when senior forward Josh Peppers (Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven) connected on a triple. Minnesota responded with a 12-0 run to put the game out of reach. Dan Coleman, who recorded a game-high 29 points, capped the run with a pair of free throws at the 4:13 mark to give the Golden Gophers a 63-46 edge.
UCF junior guard Dave Noel (Boynton Beach, Fla./Boynton Beach) scored a career-high 15 points. He added five steals, the most by a Golden Knight this season.
The Golden Knights were competitive early and tied the contest at nine just six minutes into the game on a Taylor 3-pointer. Minnesota then held UCF scoreless for the next nine minutes while scoring 16 points on the other side of the court. UCF shot just 26.9 percent in the opening period and Minnesota led 36-21 at halftime.
Taylor connected on four triples in 26 minutes. Peppers recorded a team-high seven boards and junior center Stanley Billings (Orlando, Fla./Oak Ridge) totaled six points and three blocked shots in 17 minutes off of the bench. UCF shot a season-high 15-of-17 (88.2 percent) at the free-throw line.
The Golden Gophers held a 42-30 edge on the glass. Coleman added 10 rebounds for the double-double and teammate Spencer Tollackson had 13 points, 11 boards and four blocks. The hosts totaled nine blocks in the victory.
UCF returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 19, facing Utah at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. Eastern. On Dec. 20, the Golden Knights will face either Appalachian State or Virginia in the eight-team tournament.
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.