LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF men's basketball team used a 19-0 run in the first half to propel the Knights to their fourth straight victory to start the season, defeating Nebraska 68-59 in the first round of the AdvoCare Invitational Thursday night.
"It was a heck of a game. It was what we expected," UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said. "They're a tough team and they've been playing very well. They've been scoring a lot of points, so we knew defensively we would have to be at our best."
In the first half the Knights might have been at their best.
UCF (4-0) trailed 10-8 with 13:25 to play in the first when Anton Gill knocked down a three-pointer for the Huskers (3-2). The Knights then proceeded to hold Nebraska without a point for the nearly eight minutes, using a 19-0 run to make it 27-10 with just over six minutes to play in the frame.
Tacko Fall and Ceasar DeJesus were integral offensively during the stretch, accounting for 10 of the 19 points.
The Knights led 36-20, shooting 57.7 percent from the floor and going 2-for-4 from long distance in the first half. Defensively, UCF held the Huskers to just 25 percent shooting and 15.4 percent from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes.
Nebraska came out of the locker room ready to roll in the second half, using an 8-1 run to get back into the game early in the period. The Cornhuskers eventually cut their deficit to single digits when James Palmer Jr. hit a three to make it 49-41 with 6:41 to play.
They got as close as six points, multiple times, but the Knights held on for the 68-59 victory.
"I thought we played terrific defense most of the night, and that gave us a chance to win the game," Dawkins said. "I was really proud of our guys' effort, especially on the defensive end, and we beat a good basketball team tonight."
DeJesus led the Knights with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor, adding three rebounds and three assists. Fall was the only other UCF player in double figures, scoring 11 points, grabbing eight rebounds and blocking four shots.
Maybe the most impressive stat line of the night came from A.J. Davis. In addition to knocking down a big three-pointer late in the game to help seal the victory, the senior scored eight points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out seven assists and recorded three steals.
Freshman Myles Douglas also recorded a season high eight points, hitting two-of-three from beyond the arc in the win.
UCF moves on to play the winner of West Virginia and Marist in the semifinals on Friday. The game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. tipoff on ESPN2.
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