Wilson's Tip-In Lifts Knights Over Eagles

Dec. 2, 2014

UCF Athletics Social Media Directory

By Dan Forcella
UCFKnights.com

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ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - If there was one thing the UCF men's basketball team had to improve on most through the first five games of the season it was defense. In game six, their sixth straight at CFE Arena, the Knights held Georgia Southern to just 59 points Tuesday in a 61-59 triumph.

The Eagles (4-2), who came in averaging 80.6 points per game, were held to just 37.3 percent shooting from the floor, going 22-of-59. UCF (5-1) held Georgia Southern to 22.2 percent (4-of-18) shooting from beyond the arc to hold on for the victory.

GSU went on a 7-0 run late in the game, capped by a three-pointer from leading scorer Jelani Hewitt, to take a 58-55 lead with 4:33 to play. The Knights countered with a three by junior Daiquan Walker on the next possession and held the Eagles to just one point in the final 4:30 to secure the win.

With the game tied at 59-59, head coach Donnie Jones called a timeout with 58 seconds remaining. The Knights took the shot clock all the way down before sophomore Brandon Goodwin attempted a three-pointer from the top of the key. That was when senior Kasey Wilson came up with a huge veteran play.

The forward followed Goodwin's shot and tipped it in to give the Knights' their final lead of the game with just 29 seconds on the clock. UCF forced Hewitt to take a long three-pointer on the Eagles' final possession, which caromed off the rim to give the Knights the 61-59 win.

MYLES MONEY OFF THE BENCH
With the Knights depleted by injuries, a number of Knights have been called upon to step in the last few games. Tuesday night it was senior walk-on Myles Davis. The Winter Haven native scored a career high eight points in 15 minutes off the bench.

Davis knocked down two three-pointers on just two attempts, grabbed two rebounds, had two assists and made one steal. His energy and enthusiasm didn't show up in the box score, but they were key contributors as well.

"Myles Davis, what a big night for him. He played with incredible energy, effort. He obviously hit some big shots as well."
- Donnie Jones

"It was an amazing feeling. I'm not going to lie. My teammates are behind me 100 percent. Whenever my name is called, I'm waiting. Whatever they need, I'll do it for them. Tonight when it happened, I was ready and things went my way."
- Myles Davis

MCBRIDE OVERCOMES SICKNESS, GOES FOR 14 AND 7
Fans were wondering where sophomore Justin McBride was during pre-game warm-ups. They were wondering where he was when the game tipped off. They didn't ask any questions when he made his first basket of the game just over 10 minutes in.

The big man, who was coming off of a 31-point eruption against Bethune-Cookman, dealt with a serious migraine headache just before the game began. He fought through it, scoring four points and grabbing four rebounds in nine first half minutes.

The headache must have subsided because McBride scored 10 more points in the second half to finish with a team high 14 on 6-of-7 from the floor. He added seven boards and an assist to lead the Knights to the victory.

KNIGHTS LEARNING HOW TO WIN CLOSE GAMES
The young Knights are learning early and often how to win close contests. Of UCF's five victories, four have been of nine points or less. When it has come down to crunch time, the Knights have found ways to win, including Tuesday's two-point triumph over the Eagles.

EAGLES' TOP SCORER HELD DOWN BY UCF
- Jelani Hewitt came in to Tuesday's game ranked sixth in the nation with 22.6 points per game.
- Against the Knights he shot 5-of-20 from the floor for a game high 17 points.
- Hewitt went just 3-of-12 from three-point range.
- Brandon Goodwin was tasked with the match-up much of the night, locking down the scoring point guard.

SHARING THE BASKETBALL
* The Knights shared the ball well again on Tuesday, assisting on 17 of their 24 field goals.
* UCF came in ranked second in the American Athletic Conference with 15.0 assists per game.
* As a result, the Knights shot 55.8 percent from the floor and a staggering 70.6 percent in the second half.
* Goodwin led the way with another five assists, his season average.

UCF TURNOVERS KEEP EAGLES IN THE GAME
- The Knights turned the ball over a season high 22 times on Tuesday.
- Georgia Southern picked up 14 steals on the night.
- The Eagles turned UCF's 22 turnovers into 18 points.
- The Knights were averaging just 11.8 turnovers per game coming into the contest.

POSTGAME AUDIO
Head Coach Donnie Jones

Justin McBride, Myles Davis

NEXT UP FOR THE KNIGHTS
After a six-game homestand to start the year UCF will finally hit the road this weekend. The Knights play at Florida State Saturday. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip-off on ESPN3 and the UCF IMG Sports Network.

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