Jan. 11, 2007
BIRMINGHAM (www.ucfathletics.com) - Paul Delaney III hit a runner in the lane as time expired in regulation and UAB outscored the Golden Knights 17-7 in overtime as the Blazers rallied for a 74-64 Conference USA victory over UCF on Wednesday evening at Bartow Arena. Senior forward Josh Peppers (Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven) totaled a team-high 20 points for UCF (11-4, 0-1 C-USA).
The Golden Knights, who were playing in their league opener, led by 10 points with three minutes to play, but UAB (9-7, 1-1) rallied, closing regulation with a 16-6 run. Delaney III had eight points during the stretch, all with under a minute to play.
UAB's Lawrence Kinnard tied the game at 55 with 13 seconds in regulation with a 3-pointer. UCF went inside on the ensuing possession and senior forward Lavell Payne (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Dillard) scored in the paint with three seconds on the clock. After receiving the inbound pass, Delany III went the length of the floor and hit a runner as time expired.
The hosts quickly went up five points in overtime, getting a layup from Delaney III and a trey from Wen Mukubu. UCF was unable to recover, shooting just 2-of-12 (16.7 percent) from the floor in the extra session. UAB made 12 free throws in overtime as the Blazers recorded their 19th-straight win at home.
"Our guys played very good defense for 37 minutes," said UCF head coach Kirk Speraw. "We made it very difficult for them to get good looks until the 3:10 mark. We stopped taking care of our principles defensively. We didn't come up with stops."
The contest was tied at halftime and the Golden Knights pulled away from UAB midway through the second half. Payne had a pair of baskets as UCF used a 9-0 run to build a 10-point edge. Sophomore guard Jermaine Taylor's (Tavares, Fla./Tavares) layup at the 3:11 mark handed the Golden Knights a 51-41 advantage.
UCF entered the contest third nationally in 3-point field-goal percentage, but shot just 2-of-21 (9.5 percent) from deep. Overall, the squad shot at a 38.5 percent clip.
Payne had 14 points and seven rebounds. Junior guard Dave Noel (Boynton Beach, Fla./Boynton Beach) finished with 13 points, seven boards and five assists before fouling out in overtime.
Mukubu totaled a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards. Kinnard recorded 21 points in the win. Delaney III had all 14 of his points after intermission. He also dished out 11 assists.
The Blazers had a 49-39 edge on the glass. UAB shot 40 percent overall and 28.6 percent from deep.
UCF concludes its four-game road swing on Saturday, Jan. 13 at league foe Marshall.
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