Feb. 1, 2014
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By Andy Seeley
UCFKnights.com
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF men's basketball team dropped an 87-70 decision to the No. 7/12 Lousville Cardinals Saturday night at the KFC Yum! Center. Lousville (18-4, 7-2 American Athletic Conference) got 27 points from Russ Smith in the victory, while the Knights (9-10, 1-7) were paced by Tristan Spurlock's 20-point effort off the bench.
UCF weathered numerous storms in the contest, including a potential haymaker to open the contest. The Knights answered nearly every Louisville run. But in the end, the Cardinals pulled away for the 17-point win.
Louisville opened the game with a flurry. Smith had six points in less than two minutes on a pair of three-pointers and the Cardinals opened up a 12-1 advantage to open the contest. But UCF battled back. Trailing 22-8, the Knights got an old-fashioned three-point play from Isaiah Sykes, sparking a 17-7 spurt that pulled the Knights within four, 29-25. Spurlock scored nine points, including a three-pointer and a pair of dunks, during the outburst.
Louisville countered with a 9-2 run to end the half and took a 37-27 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Cardinals quickly got out to a 15-point edge in the first minute of the second half.
But once again, the Knights chipped away at their deficit. A Spurlock three-point play and three more the hard way pulled UCF back within eight, 46-38, with 14 minutes remaining. The defending national champions tried to run away from the Knights. A pair of Smith free throws increased the Cardinals' lead to 16 midway through the second half.
Once again, the Knights responded. A three-pointer from Matt Williams and a triple from Kasey Wilson sparked a UCF spurt that got the Knights within nine points, 68-59 with 6:40 remaining. Smith then missed a pair of free throws and UCF had a chance to further chip away. But the Knights couldn't corral the rebound and Luke Hancock buried a three-pointer to put Louisville back up by double digits. The Knights never got closer than 12 again.
Led by Spurlock's 20-point effort and Wilson's 11, UCF got 40 points off the bench Saturday night. Calvin Newell was the Knights' lone starter in double digits with 12 points. Sykes finished with a game-high 11 rebounds, despite an off night scoring.
The Knights are back in action again Wednesday night, when rival USF visits CFE Arena for a 7 p.m. contest.