Jan. 18, 2009
HOUSTON (UCFAthletics.com) - The return was not dramatic. It did not draw the attention of the large contingent of UCF fans or even the broadcasters at the game.
Despite the lack of recognition, the return of junior forward Tony Davis (Sarasota, Fla.) to the court early in the second half was a big reason why the Knights posted a 77-52 Conference USA win at Rice Saturday.
Late in the first half, Davis took an elbow to the face. After leaving the game, Davis was rushed to the locker room by athletic trainer Andy Reber and was given stitches above his right eye. Because he was still bleeding, Davis did not head to the court with his teammates at the end of halftime.
Less than two minutes into the half, Davis returned to the UCF bench. Before he could take a seat, Davis was rushed into the game by head coach Kirk Speraw after sophomore forward A.J. Tyler (Palm Harbor, Fla.) picked up his third foul.
Davis' return would prove to be beneficial for UCF. With the score tied at 42 with 14:32 to play, Davis nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key, sparking a 14-0 run for the visitors. On the team's next possession, Davis, who finished the contest with 17 points and 12 rebounds, drained another triple from the same spot.
Davis, who entered the game 5-of-15 from deep in 2008-09, often draws the ire of head coach Kirk Speraw with his shot selection.
"The first one, I knew I was going to take that three," Davis said. "After I hit the first one, I knew that if they didn't step out, I would take the next one. If it is a rhythm three, coach does not complain about that."
Speraw was quick to praise Davis after the game, but not just for his offensive performance.
"Tony was very active and aggressive out there. He played well defensively and that allowed him to get into a good rhythm on the offensive end. He took a pretty good (elbow) there and showed great toughness coming back into the game."
The Knights are scheduled to open a three-game homestand Wednesday, hosting Southern Miss. Tip-off at the UCF Arena is slated for 7 p.m.
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.
Notes: Houston native Chip Cartwright, who played for the Knights from 2006-08, was in attendance for Saturday's contest. He appeared in all 31 contests as a senior a year ago, averaging 5.0 points and a team-high 3.5 assists... In three Conference USA games this season, senior center Kenrick Zondervan (Hoofddorp, Holland) is averaging 9.3 points on 62.5 percent shooting. Zondervan recorded 12 points in the victory over the Owls... UCF will return to Orlando on Sunday afternoon.