ORLANDO – The UCF men's basketball team used a 9-0 run midway through the second half to take a seven-point lead that it never relinquished en route to a 76-65 home victory over visiting Sacred Heart Sunday afternoon at Addition Financial Arena.
The win marked the Knights' (8-2) fifth straight as they enjoyed their third of consecutive home non-conference games before heading on the road to Oklahoma on Dec. 21.
UCF, which had struggled defensively in the second-half against Green Bay earlier in the week, stepped up on that side of the floor against the Pioneers (6-5), allowing them to shoot just 37.5 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from 3-point range in the first half.
The Knight used their first of two 9-0 runs, this one late in the first half, to break a tie and take a 37-28 lead into the break.
Freshman Darin Green Jr. ignited the spurt with a three, Collin Smith followed with a bucket, Green then had a 2-pointer of his own, and Dre Fuller Jr. finished off the run with an offensive rebound and putback layup to give UCF the nine-point advantage.
After Sacred Heart rallied back early in the second frame to take a 45-43 lead with 12:43 to play, UCF used its second 9-0 run to put the game away.
This time it was Frank Bertz getting things started – and nearly completing the entire run himself – scoring seven straight points in less than two minutes. Bertz hit a three, then finished a breakaway while drawing a flagrant foul.
After hitting both free throws, it was Avery Diggs who gave the Knights a 52-45 advantage with 10:56 to play.
Smith led the way offensively with 14 points, adding a team-high 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. The balance UCF offense saw four players in double figures, as Green finished with 12, Ceasar DeJesus added 11 and Fuller chipped in 10.
The UCF defense continued to prevent the Pioneers from having any success from the 3-point line, forcing Sacred Heart to miss 23 of its 27 attempts from beyond the arc, good for just 14.8 percent in the game.
The Knights will finished up the homestand on Wednesday, Dec. 18, hosting Bethune-Cookman. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip at Addition Financial Arena with coverage on UCFKnights.tv and FM 96.9 The Game.
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