ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF men's basketball team held Temple to an American Athletic Conference record low 11 points in the first half and cruised to a 77-53 victory over the Owls Saturday at CFE Arena.
"I was really proud of our guys today, especially in the first half," UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said. "That may have been the best effort we've given for 20 minutes. I give our guys credit. They prepared very well and played with a lot of energy."
Houston had set the record in the conference just three days ago, holding UConn to 12 points in the first half in Hartford. The Knights, who lead the nation in opponents' field goal percentage, one-upped the Cougars, holding the Owls to just 11 points.
"We really followed the game plan," Dawkins said. "We had some things we wanted to take away and our guys did a really good job of being aware. They were focused throughout the possessions and completed them through the rebound."
After Temple (9-6, 0-2 AAC) scored the first two points of the game, UCF (11-3, 2-0 AAC) scored the next 15 points of the game and eventually led 27-7 with 6:48 to play in the first half to take a commanding early lead.
"It led us to some easy baskets in transition," Dawkins said of his team's defensive performance. "We were able to get out and run. We pick our spots with that, depending on what kind of shot is taken, we can bust out and make plays, and our guys did a good job of recognizing the open man and being unselfish."
The Knights continued to extend their lead and took a 38-11 advantage into the break, scoring the final seven points of the frame.
UCF led by as many as 34 points in the second half, and Temple cut its deficit to just 23 on multiple occasions, but the Knights never let the Owls back into the game.
"With young people it's never over," Dawkins said of making sure to stay focused in the second half. "Because of the three ball, this game can change quickly, so I'm always trying to teach. We can't let up. The things we did to get the lead; we need to continue doing those things."
The Knights' didn't change a thing and held on for the 77-53 victory, their first over Temple since the first season of American Athletic Conference play.
THE FOUR THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM SATURDAY'S VICTORY
The Knights' 24-point margin of victory was their largest ever in an AAC game
- Leading by as many as 34, and holding a 27-point lead at halftime, the 24-point victory was the largest ever for UCF in an American Athletic Conference game.
- Their previous best was 21 points against Houston back in 2014.
- It marked the Knights' sixth win of 20 or more points this season, but the first of league play.
The 11 points for Temple in the first half was also a UCF record in its Division I era
Holding Temple to just 11 points was impressive, and it broke multiple records. It is the record for least points in a half for the American Athletic Conference, which began in the 2013-14 season, but it is also a record for the Knights' in their Division I era. UCF had held Florida Tech to just 12 points in the first half of an 81-37 win back in 2006.
- The Knights held Temple to just 4-of-29 shooting in the first half (13.8%).
- The Owls were just 1-of-10 from beyond the arc (10.0%).
- UCF outrebounded Temple 28-12 in the first 20 minutes of action.
For the fourth time this season, UCF recorded more than 50 rebounds
- The Knights outrebounded Temple 51-31 for the game
- UCF came into the game leading the American Athletic Conference and ranked third in the nation with 45.3 rebounds per game.
- It was a team effort as five Knights had at least six rebounds, led by Nick Banyard with 11.
The Knights' inside-outside combo of Tacko Fall and Matt Williams combined for 34 points
For the eighth game in a row either Tacko Fall or Matt Williams led the Knights in scoring. On Saturday, they both did, tying with a game high 17 points. Fall scored 13 of his 17 in the second half, while Williams recorded 14 of his 17 in the first half.
Fall, who leads the nation in field goal percentage, went 6-of-7 from the field, 5-of-8 from the free throw line, and grabbed seven rebounds. The league's leader in three pointers made per game, Williams knocked down three more on Saturday.
COMING UP NEXT
UCF stays at home and will host East Carolina on Tuesday. The Knights and the Pirates are scheduled to tip-off at 7:15 p.m. on ESPNews from CFE Arena.
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