OT with Tigers

Feb. 22, 2015

UCF Athletics Social Media Directory

By Dan Forcella
UCFKnights.com

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ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - Trailing 59-53 with 3:45 to play in regulation, members of the UCF men's basketball team knew they would have to make one final comeback to pull off the upset against Memphis. The Knights scored the final six points of regulation, including a driving layin by sophomore Brandon Goodwin with four seconds to play to send the game into overtime.

Unfortunately for the Knights (12-14, 5-10), the Tigers (17-10, 9-5) scored the first nine points of the extra session, essentially putting the game out of reach just two and a half minutes into overtime. Memphis went on to win 75-65 and snapped UCF's three-game win streak.

"It was a very good basketball game," UCF head coach Donnie Jones said after the game. "Our kids fought hard. Somehow we found a way to get into overtime and that says a lot about these kids and how they how they compete."

After Memphis sprinted out to an 18-2 advantage to start the game, UCF outscored the Tigers 26-13 to end the first half and go into the break down just 31-28. The Knights scored the final seven points of the frame, as senior Kasey Wilson scored five straight and freshman Adonys Henriquez capped the run with a pull-up jumper.

UCF was unable to use that momentum to its advantage. The Knights allowed Memphis to use a 9-1 spurt to start the second half that increased the Tigers' lead back to double figures, at 40-29. UCF again clawed its way back into the game, getting as close as three points before the Tigers extended their lead back to six with 3:45 to play in regulation.

GOODWIN SENDS IT INTO OVERTIME
After the Knights forced Memphis into a long jumper and grabbed the rebound, Goodwin dribbled the ball into the front court and called a timeout with 13 seconds to play. After the Tigers used up their final foul to give, the Knights inbounded the ball with 12 seconds on the clock.

Goodwin ran the clock down to six seconds before driving past his defender and beating a pair of Memphis post men to the bucket and tying the game at 59-59 with a layup off the glass. With four seconds remaining, Memphis inbounded the ball and attempted to let it roll to save time. Goodwin teased the Tiger into waiting a second too long, dove on the ball near half court and called timeout.

With 1.2 seconds left, the Henriquez found freshman B.J. Taylor open in the corner. The Knights' leading scorer was able to get a three-pointer off, but it rimmed out.

KNIGHTS STRUGGLE AT THE FREE THROW LINE
- UCF shot just 8-of-19 (.421) from the free throw line.
- It was the Knights' worst free throw shooting performance of the season.
- Memphis went 16-of-21 (.762) from the charity stripe, outscoring UCF by eight points at the line.
- The Knights were equally poor in the first half (2-for-7) as the second (2-for-6).

UCF CONTAINS TIGERS' SECOND CHANCE POINTS
When UCF went to Memphis and lost 99-79 back on Jan. 17, the Tigers hammered the Knights on the glass. In round one, Memphis corralled 25 offensive rebounds and turned them into 26 second chance points.

This time around UCF trailed in the offensive rebounding battle 19-15, but only allowed Memphis to score eight second chance points. The Knights, however, went for 15 second chance points as junior Staphon Blair picked up six offensive rebounds himself.

GOODWIN LEADS FOUR KNIGHTS IN DOUBLE FIGURES
- Goodwin led the Knights with 15 points, while adding five rebounds, four assists and four steals.
- Blair added 12 points to mark his fourth time in double figures in the last five games, and added a team high nine rebounds.
- Both Wilson and junior Daiquan Walker added 10 points in the defeat.

POSTGAME AUDIO
Head Coach Donnie Jones

Brandon Goodwin, Staphon Blair

NEXT UP FOR THE KNIGHTS
UCF will next head back on the road. The Knights take on Cincinnati Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network and the UCF IMG Sports Network.