ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – For the second straight game, the UCF men's basketball team found itself trailing on the scoreboard, but showed determination in a second half rally in a thrilling 72-71 win over Charleston on Saturday afternoon in Addition Financial Arena.
"We've been challenged like that all year," UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said. "We've been down, but our guys have always found a way to fight their way back into games. They've shown a lot of resilience; they've shown they have big hearts."
The Knights (3-1) found themselves down by as many as 12 points before the first media timeout and trailed by 13 points on a pair of occasions in the first 20 minutes. Collin Smith cut the deficit to four points, 27-23, on a three-point play with 6:52 left in the first half, but the Cougars (3-2) responded to reclaim a 10-point 35-25 lead with 4:35 remaining.
Never discouraged, the Knights used baskets from Frank Bertz, Dazon Ingram and Ibrahim Famouke Doumbia to pull within three, 35-32, with 1:38 on the clock. Dre Fuller Jr. drained his first collegiate three-pointer with just under a minute left in the half to knot the score at 35-35, but the Cougars responded with a bucket to reclaim the lead.
Trailing by one at halftime, the Knights wasted little time in the second frame, turning their deficit into a three-point advantage in the opening 90 seconds of the second half. The home team led by as many as seven points, 48-41, in the first five minutes but Charleston battled back. Over the final 12 minutes of action, the scoreboard saw three ties and five lead changes.
Remaining calm, cool and collected, the Knights continued to drive to the basket in the final three minutes. UCF made six trips to the charity stripe, and Collin Smith clinched the win by sinking a pair from the line with 13 seconds remaining.
In addition to shooting 80.8 percent (21-26) from the free throw line, the Knights scored 18 points off 11 Charleston turnovers. UCF's bench was also key, as the 30 of the Black and Gold's 72 points came from the reserves.
Smith led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed a team-leading eight rebounds. Fuller Jr. poured in a career-high 11 points and Ingram added 11 points with four assists.
UCF will return to action on Nov. 28, heading to Anaheim, Calif., for the Wooden Legacy. The Knights open against Pennsylvania and will take on either Arizona or Pepperdine in second round action. Long Beach State, Wake Forest, Providence and Charleston are also in the Wooden Legacy field, which take place Nov. 28-Dec. 1.
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