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By Dan Forcella
UCFKnights.com
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ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - Sophomore Justin McBride went off for 19 points and 13 rebounds as the UCF men's basketball team defeated visiting Georgia College 82-65 in its final exhibition of the season.
"I have to give credit to Georgia College, who I thought played very well tonight," UCF head coach Donnie Jones said after the game. "They are very well coached. I thought they came out and were very aggressive from start to finish."
Junior Dylan Karell opened up the scoring with a tip dunk as the Knights used a 10-0 run in the first half to take an early 21-11 advantage midway through the period.
After the Bobcats cut it to just one point, at 26-25, UCF used another 10-0 run highlighted by three straight buckets by McBride to extend the Knights' lead back to double digits at 36-25.
UCF ended the first half by working the ball around the perimeter and finding freshman B.J. Taylor for his first of five three-pointers on the night. The triple put the Knights up 39-28 at the break.
Taylor really got things going in the second half, beginning with a layup that made it 41-28. The point guard went on to knock down four threes in the final 20 minutes to lead the Knights to the victory.
A floater in the lane by sophomore Brandon Goodwin, a three from freshman Adonys Henriquez, and a driving layin by Taylor capped off a 28-9 run that began in the first half. The Knights led 54-34 with 14:32 to play in the game.
UCF led by as many as 21 points before cruising to the 82-65 triumph.
MCBRIDE A MONSTER IN THE MIDDLE
McBride led the Knights with 19 points and 13 rebounds in the victory. The big man's best scoring output as a freshman last season was 13 points, and his most rebounds in a game was seven in 2013-14. Nine of McBride's 13 boards came on the offensive end. He also had two blocks and a steal in 20 minutes of action.
B.J. BACK AT IT AGAIN
After leading the Knights with 23 points in the team's first exhibition, Taylor went for a game high 22 points Tuesday night to lead the way once again. The freshman went 7-for-12 from the floor and was on fire from beyond the arc, going 5-for-7.
KNIGHTS DO IT ON DEFENSE
- UCF held Georgia College to just 37.1 percent shooting in the game.
- The Bobcats made just four three-pointers, going 4-of-23 from beyond the arc (17.4%).
- The Knights forced Georgia College to go one-on-one, allowing only nine assists on 26 Bobcat field goals.
- As GC was attempting to get back in the game, UCF limited their three-point threats, forcing them into a 2-for-14 performance from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes.
"I thought one bright spot was that we defended the three-point line fairly well," Jones said. "They were 4-for-23, which was key with a team that shoots 25 per game. I thought that was an important factor."
TEN PLAY TEN MINUTES OR MORE
The Knights are going to play a lot of guys this season and they showed that Tuesday by getting 10 players 10 minutes or more of playing time. Taylor led the way with 30 minutes, but no one else played more than 24. Newcomers Taylor, Henriquez and junior Shaheed Davis all played 20 minutes or more.
UCF ON TARGET BEYOND THE ARC
Led by Taylor's 5-of-7 performance from three-point range, the Knights improved upon their three-point shooting in exhibition number two.
- Henriquez went 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.
- Goodwin, junior Matt Williams, and freshman Djordjije Mumin also knocked down triples in the victory.
- UCF went 11-of-27 (40.7%) for the game.
- The Knights locked in during the second half, going 6-of-10 (60.0%).
KNIGHTS SET TO OPEN REGULAR SEASON SUNDAY
Following a pair of exhibition victories, UCF will square off with Stetson Sunday, Nov. 16 in the season opener. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will air on ESPN3 and the UCF IMG Sports Network.
"I am very excited. I don't know about everyone else, but I am just ready to play," Goodwin said. "We have been pushing each other all summer, all fall, and these two exhibition games went by fast. Now we are just ready for the season to start."POSTGAME AUDIO
Head Coach Donnie Jones
Justin McBride and Brandon Goodwin
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