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By Dan Forcella
UCFKnights.com
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ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF men's basketball team shot 75.9 percent from the floor in the second half to defeat visiting Flagler by a score of 96-70 Tuesday night in an exhibition at CFE Arena.
Junior Staphon Blair opened up the 2014-15 campaign with a layup off of an assist from senior Kasey Wilson on the first possession of the game as the Knights took their first lead 17 seconds in. UCF never trailed in the contest, allowing Flagler to tie the game once, at 7-7, with 14:55 to play in the first half.
That was when freshman B.J. Taylor began to find his groove. He made three-out-of-four baskets for the Knights as UCF used an 8-0 run to take a 15-7 lead midway through the first half.
The usual first game troubles for the young Knights and their inability to stop Flagler's Jerrell Oxendine (11 first half points) kept the Saints in the game through the first 20 minutes. UCF went into the break leading 40-35 after a pair of free throws by Oxendine in the final seconds.
The Knights gained a double-digit lead for the first time when a three-pointer by junior Shaheed Davis was followed up by a put-back layup from junior Daiquan Walker, which made it 50-39 with 16:20 to play. An 18-7 run shortly thereafter extended UCF's advantage to 20 points on a Brandon Goodwin layup.
UCF led by as many as 33 points before coasting to the final score of 96-70.
B.J. TAYLOR LEADS THE WAY IN FIRST OUTING
The freshman looked strong and efficient in his 23-point performance. Taylor went 9-of-13 from the floor, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and added eight rebounds. The Orlando native added three assists and turned the ball over just once from the point guard position.
"I was out here in front of all my friends and family," Taylor said. "I'm from Orlando and I grew up here so it was a very exciting experience for me. I was really focused on playing the right way, getting my teammates the ball, and getting the win more than anything."
SHAHEED DAVIS ADDS DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Junior transfer Davis went 7-for-10 from the floor for 16 points. He added a team-high 11 rebounds, including three on the offensive end. The 6-9 Davis also showed range, connecting on 2-of-3 from long distance.
NEW-LOOK KNIGHTS SHARE BALL WITH SUCCESS
A key to the Knights' second half surge was team play and quick passing. UCF finished the night with 20 assists on 38 baskets, turning the ball over only 13 times. Freshman Adonys Henriquez led the team with a game high eight helpers. Those assists led to easy buckets as UCF shot 75.9 percent in the second half and had a 60.3 percent mark for the game.
"I thought the second half we shared the ball much better," Head Coach Donnie Jones said. "We ended with 20 assists, which is always our goal. We also shot well in the second half at 76 percent. We eventually wore them down and made some adjustments at halftime."
UCF USES POINTS IN THE PAINT AND OFF TURNOVERS
The Knights outscored the Saints 58-28 in the paint, as Davis, Staphon Blair, Justin McBride and Kasey Wilson punished Flagler in the paint. Blair finished with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and a number of thunderous dunks. The Knights also converted 12 Saint turnovers into 20 points, while Flagler had just five points off of UCF turnovers.
YOUNG KNIGHTS GAIN VALUABLE EXPERIENCE
UCF played 11 players in total and the team's bench outscored Flagler's 30-13. The Knights will look to use that depth to their advantage moving forward. McBride came off the bench to score all seven of his points in the first half. The big man added five rebounds and two blocks in just 13 minutes of action.
SECOND EXHIBITION NEXT TUESDAY
UCF will next host Georgia College on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The Knights and the Bobcats will tip off at 7 p.m. from CFE Arena.