BARCELONA, Spain (UCFKnights.com) - After spending several days touring Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona, the UCF men’s basketball team is returning back to the States with its second international victory, defeating the Catalan All-Stars, 72-65.
Collin Smith got the Knights going with three straight baskets to start the game, but Catalan quickly moved ahead and eventually took a 41-34 lead going into halftime.
The Knights came out strong in the second half and worked its way to a 54-50 lead.
“When we were down and coming into the third quarter like we were, I was proud to see our guys come into the second half with confidence and make better decisions,” head coach Johnny Dawkins said.
After giving up 80+ points in its first two games in Spain, UCF held Catalan to just 65 on the scoreboard.
“We played with more poise and it was great to see us play UCF defense again,” Dawkins said.
Smith led all scorers with 22 points, while Ceasar DeJesus chipped in with 11. Matt Milon finished with nine points, and Frank Bertz and Brandon Mahan each finished with seven.
“I think the game was good for us in terms of getting experience with different line-ups and learning what was effective,” Dawkins said.
The Knights will return back to Orlando on August 15 and enjoy some time off before school starts on Aug. 26. For more updates, follow @UCF_MBB on Twitter or @ucf.mbb on Instagram.