Jan. 3, 2007
BOULDER, Colo. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF senior forward Josh Peppers (Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven) and sophomore guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla./Tavares) both scored 22 points, but it was not enough as host Colorado held on for a 96-87 victory over the Golden Knights on Wednesday evening at the Coors Events Center. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for UCF (10-3).
Following a 3-pointer by junior guard Mike O'Donnell (Largo, Fla./Largo), UCF cut Colorado's (4-6) lead to two with 4:05 to play. The Golden Knights would get no closer as Marcus King-Stockton hit a pair of jumpers to key a 6-0 run for the hosts, who hit seven foul shots in the last two minutes of the contest.
The game featured 53 total fouls, with the Golden Knights getting called for 31. Colorado was 36-of-45 at the free-throw line.
"It was a game that was very hard-fought," said UCF head coach Kirk Speraw. "Colorado played with a lot more energy than us. To give up 96 points is not something that we normally do. Defensively, we didn't do the things we needed to do."
The hosts led for most of the second half and were up 69-61 with nine minutes to go in the contest when UCF mounted a comeback. O'Donnell had a pair of triples during an 11-1 UCF run. Junior center Stanley Billings (Orlando, Fla./Oak Ridge) handed the Golden Knights a 72-70 advantage with 7:27 remaining in the game.
O'Donnell finished with 13 points and six assists. Peppers nailed five 3-pointers and Taylor had four triples. UCF shot 44.4 percent overall and 42.9 percent from 3-point range.
The Golden Knights led by seven points 10 minutes into the game, but Colorado would not go away. The Buffaloes grabbed a 28-23 when Kal Bay hit one of his five triples with 7:11 to go in the half. Colorado led 38-37 at intermission.
Bay had 21 points and was one of five Colorado players to finish with double-digits in scoring. King-Stockton totaled 18 points and Richard Roby scored 14 points. The hosts shot 52.9 percent overall and 65.4 percent from the field in the second half.
UCF will conclude the non-conference portion of its schedule on Saturday, Jan. 6, playing at South Dakota State. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. Eastern.
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