Dec. 20, 2010
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By Marc Daniels
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - This one just felt different for many reasons. In previous games in which a UCF team was facing an opponent in "one of those" games, there was more a sense of hope than a sense of expectation. "One of those" games would be described as the game on the schedule that you used to hope you had a chance to win and wondered what it would feel like if you did, but deep down you sensed it would be a long shot. Not this time. It just felt different.
When the UCF men's basketball team boarded its bus for south Florida on Friday, the team was loose and having fun on the journey to Sunrise. During dinner Friday night, UCF looked like a team ready to play against the Miami Hurricanes. But they also looked like a team that wasn't showing up at the MetroPCS Orange Bowl Basketball Classic for the complimentary t-shirt.
When Saturday morning arrived, the team had an early shoot around in the BankAtlantic Center. It was a cold workout as the Knights saw a court over a sheet of ice in which the NHL's Florida Panthers played a game the night before. While Donnie Jones' put his team through a short walk through, area newspapers talked about UCF as a nice story being undefeated, but a team that played a "soft" schedule. They talked about a Miami team looking for a win and a top-25 ranking.
When the Knights took the court several thousand UCF fans were there to cheer them on. The cheers just felt different. Different because these fans, some who traveled from Orlando and many who call south Florida home, came to watch their team not just compete, but to win. Miami fans came to see the "U." A couple of Canes' fans behind me near courtside were not even sure what league UCF played in and asked an usher if Miami would play the winner of the Florida-Kansas State in the title game on Sunday.
Moments before the ball was tossed, it just felt different. Why?
Because two weeks earlier UCF took the court at the new Amway Center and did more than go toe-to-toe with the ranked Florida Gators. UCF won the game and UCF fans got to celebrate the victory and get a sense of what it's like to win "one of those" games. This time against Miami, although a talented team that was 7-2 with a few impressive wins, UCF fans were not hoping to be in the game, but came confident their team could win the game. That is what has happened after nine games and a big win over a solid state foe.
David Diakite's thunderous dunk to start the game was the first message UCF was ready to play. After a 10-4 lead, the Knights saw Miami score 17-straight points. You know what happened after that. Nothing. A good nothing. UCF did not panic. Miami's 21-10 lead could have jumped to 15 or 20, but it didn't.
Down 43-33 at the half, UCF trailed for the first time at the break all season and you know what? It just felt different. It felt different because Donnie Jones' saw his team shoot less than 40 percent, get one point from Keith Clanton, nothing from A.J. Rompza or Isaiah Sykes and they were within 10.
After a Miami basket to start the second half, the deficit was again 12. Surely UCF was done. There was no way the Knights would rally against this ACC foe expecting a national ranking with a win. Wrong.
Marcus Jordan scored six-straight points and UCF was back with six at 45-39. After a pair of free throws Miami was up 47-39. Then Keith Clanton scored three-straight baskets splitting defenders and making Miami's big guys realize they had a problem defending UCF's prized sophomore.
The power went out for 24 minutes with UCF down by two and Miami beginning to wilt. But when the power came back, so did UCF. Sykes' basket with just under eight minutes to go gave UCF the lead at 59-58. Could UCF hold on with so much time left? Yes. Because it just felt different. It was the UCF faithful making more noise than Hurricanes' fans and even Florida fans starting to root for UCF. After all, now a UCF win would help Florida's RPI.
More big plays would follow. Isaac Sosa drained a three to make it 62-58. Clanton then dazzled with a fake pass and drive to the basket for a three-point play that sent one of Miami's big men to the bench with a fifth foul and UCF was up six, 69-63, with less than five minutes to play.
Rompza buried a three to make it 74-67 with 2:34 to play. But UCF was not free and clear yet. With 1:27 left, Jordan's day was done when he suffered an ankle injury. With Jordan to the bench, Rompza, Sosa, Clanton, Sykes and Herzog had to finish the job.
Miami pulled within three at 79-76 after a four-point play. Then the Canes got the ball with a chance to tie. But a freshman, Sykes, who just missed two free throws came back down the court and stole the ball which led to a pair of Diakite free throws and the celebration was on.
Despite missing 20 second-half free throws, UCF's second half was no fluke. The Knights out-shot, out-blocked, out-stole, out-hustled, out-witted and just out-played Miami to win the game. UCF played with poise, confidence and acted like they knew this was different. They were not glad to just be in the game. They expected to win the game.
When the horn sounded it was a different celebration than the victory over Florida. This time, UCF didn't storm the court. This time UCF was joyous but composed. This time UCF acted like a top-25 team that believed it was a game they were meant to play like they did. Oh yes, this time it just felt different and how good it did feel.
Knights notes and more: All those who have proof they predicted UCF football and basketball would be ranked in the top 25 step forward...Kudos to the UCF fans. As many of you showed up as did Miami fans. Spread the word and get the UCF Arena filled when this team returns home next week and be there when the conference slate begins in early January...Final thought: Don't eat the fruit cake. A second portion is fine. Love all the gifts you get and don't let relatives stay an extra day. Merry Christmas to all and to all a GO KNIGHTS!!!
Marc Daniels' From the Press Box runs several times per month on UCFAthletics.com. Listen to Marc during UCF football, men's basketball and baseball radio broadcasts on the UCF Sports Network. Each weekday, Marc hosts "The Beat of Sports" on ESPN 1080 in Orlando from 9-11 a.m.