Jan. 10, 2009
Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF men's basketball team nearly handed Memphis its first Conference USA loss since 2006, but 24 points from senior guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla.) were not enough as the Tigers held on for a 73-66 win at the UCF Arena Saturday. The contest was played in front of a school-record 9,825 fans.
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Knights (10-5, 0-1 C-USA). The squad had won 12-straight at the UCF Arena entering Saturday. The Tigers, who are receiving votes in both national polls, improved to 12-3 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
The Knights, who led by as many as eight points after intermission, got within three points with 51 seconds to play after a layup from Taylor. The hosts could not get a stop on the ensuing possession as Tyreke Evans scored to give Memphis a 71-66 edge. Doneal Mack hit a pair of free throws for the Tigers at the end of the game.
"Our guys played with great effort," UCF head coach Kirk Speraw said. "Memphis is... one of the best teams in the country. They are certainly one of the best defensive teams in the country. The fans (brought) energy that we would love to have every ball game. It was an unbelievable atmosphere."
Memphis, who played in the national title game a year ago, has won 35-consecutive regular season C-USA games.
After leading 40-39 at the break, UCF opened the second half with a 10-2 run. Taylor had six points during the spurt. Junior forward Tony Davis (Sarasota, Fla.), who recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, gave the Knights a 50-42 edge when he scored inside with 16:09 to play.
The Tigers got back into the game by outscoring the Knights 18-3 over an 11-minute span, starting at the 12:54 mark when Wesley Witherspoon hit a jumper. Antonio Anderson totaled six points during the run. Witherspoon capped the spurt with a basket at the 4:49 mark that handed Memphis a 69-60 lead.
The Knights did not score a field goal during the Tigers' run, as two free throws from sophomore forward A.J. Tyler (Palm Harbor, Fla.) and a foul shot from Davis provided the team's only points.
Taylor connected on 9-of-21 shots, including three triples, during the game, and also added seven rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes.
The opening half featured nine lead changes and eight ties. Freshman guard A.J. Rompza (Chicago, Ill.) scored the final points of the half, hitting a trey with 1:51 to go that provided UCF with a one-point edge at intermission.
In addition to the double-double, Davis added three blocks in 31 minutes. Senior center Kenrick Zondervan (Hoofddorp, Holland) scored 10 points for the Knights. UCF shot 45.1 percent overall for the game.
Anderson, Evans and Robert Dozier all scored 15 points in the victory. The Tigers shot 48.2 percent overall, but just 57.1 percent at the free-throw line.
The Knights will return to action Tuesday, facing host UAB in a league matchup. Tip-off from Birmingham, Ala., is set for 8 p.m. Eastern. The game will be televised live regionally on CSS and in Orlando on Bright House Sports Network.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.