Dec. 29, 2015
After scoring 75 or more points in each of its last three games, the UCF men's basketball hit a cold streak at the wrong time, falling to previously ranked George Washington, 67-50, on Tuesday night at CFE Arena.
Related: Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)
The Knights (6-5) started on a positive note, holding a lead for the first five minutes of the game, but the Colonials (11-2) methodically broke down the Black & Gold to take an eight-point lead midway through the first half.
With 10:39 remaining in the first half, UCF went to its' bench for a spark offensively. Tanksley Efianayi and Justin McBride gave them just that, guiding the Knights on a 10-2 run. McBride started the run with a pair of free throws and a fade-away jumper, while Efianayi had two three-point plays. One came at the free throw line, sinking three straight, while the other was a trey from the corner.
The resurgence pushed the Knights to take a 28-27 with two minutes remaining in the first, but GW rattled off a 7-0 run to retake a six-point lead.
Shaheed Davis sank a three with 35 seconds remaining to make it 34-31 at halftime.
UCF kept themselves in the game in the first half by making 5-of-12 three pointers and going 8-for-9 from the charity stripe.
In the second half, the Knights went cold, shooting just 32 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from behind the arc. The Colonials took advantage of UCF's inability to score, going on an 18-3 run over a 10-minute span in the second half and taking a 23-point lead with just over five minutes remaining in regulation.
GW's offense was firing on all cylinders as it shot 51.8 percent from the field for the game.
Efianayi again took the reins of the offense, tallying five points in the final minutes to reach double figures for the first time in his career.
STRUGGLING IN THE PAINT
- The Knights struggled to score in the paint, tallying just 20 points, while GW accumulated 44 points in the lane.
NEXT UP
- The Knights open American Athletic Conference play this Saturday, traveling to Greenville, North Carolina, for a matchup with East Carolina. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast list on ESPN3.