Jan. 6, 2016
vs. USF (Helton) - Images by UCF Knights
The sharpshooting duo of Adonys Henriquez and Matt Williams made 8-of-15 three pointers to surge the UCF men's basketball team to a 75-64 victory over in-state rival USF. The win improves the Knights to 8-5 on the year and 2-0 in American Athletic Conference action.
Related: Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML) | Jones Interview | Henriquez & Williams Interview
The three-ball was dropping for the Knights (8-5, 2-0 AAC) in the first half, as UCF jumped out to a 22-9 lead midway through the half. Williams was the sharpest shooter for the Black and Gold, draining four of his first five three-point attempts.
UCF's lead reach 15 points with 4:43 remaining in the first half, but the Bulls (3-13, 0-3 AAC) came charging back with a 16-4 run of their own to make it 35-32 in favor of the Knights at halftime.
The Knights regained their stroke in the second half with Henriquez leading the way. The sophomore guard sank three of his four three pointers in the final 20 minutes and finished with a game-high 20 points.
In the final 10 minutes of regulation, A.J. Davis took control of the game by attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line. The Atlanta, Georgia, native went a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe to close out the victory for UCF.
For the first time since the 2011-12 season, the Black & Gold are 2-0 to start league play, and it is the first time for the Knights in three-year stint in The American.
MAKING THE EASY ONES
- The Knights again took advantage of their opportunities at the free-throw line, making 20-of-25 (80 percent) from the line.
- Davis made half of UCF's free throws, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the line.
- As a team, UCF went 15-for-16 at the charity stripe in the final 10:47 of the game.
FROM DOWNTOWN
- UCF's shooting from three-point range played a key role in the game, sinking nine to USF's three.
- Williams and Henriquez each drained four three pointers and shot over 50 percent from behind the arc.
NEXT UP
- The Knights travel to Dallas, Texas, for a matchup with defending American Athletic Conference Champion and undefeated No. 15 SMU on Sunday, Jan. 10. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. ET, and it will be broadcast live on ESPNU.