Dec. 20, 2006
GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico (www.ucfathletics.com) - Sophomore guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla./Tavares) scored 16 points, but it was not enough as the UCF men's basketball team fell 75-64 to Appalachian State in the semifinals of the San Juan Shootout on Wednesday at Morales Coliseum. The Golden Knights (7-2) will face Tennessee Tech on Thursday afternoon in the tournament's third-place game.
Appalachian State (9-3) shot 50.9 percent for the game and 48 percent from 3-point range. The Mountaineers led 37-30 at halftime and the Golden Knights were unable to rally in the second period.
The Golden Knights were playing for the second time in as many days. On Tuesday, the squad posted a 67-61 win over Utah to open the event.
"We did not have the same intensity that we had against Utah. As good as we played defensively against Utah, we struggled today," said UCF head coach Kirk Speraw. "Give Appalachian State credit, they also played a game the day before, but they were able to out-hustle and out-play us. We need to learn how to fight through adversity on a consistent basis."
Taylor made 7-of-11 shots from the field and also recorded a career-high five steals. Senior forward Lavell Payne (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Dillard) totaled 13 points in the loss and junior guard Mike O'Donnell (Largo, Fla./Largo) chipped in with 10 points.
Appalachian State's Nathan Cranford made 6-of-12 shots from 3-point range to record a game-high 18 points. Jeremy Clayton recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards in the victory.
Wednesday's contest will be broadcast live on the UCF ISP Sports Network and its flagship station, WQTM 740 THEAM AM in Orlando. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. Eastern.
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.