ORLANDO – It wasn't pretty, but the UCF men's basketball team extended its current win streak to six games in a comeback 70-65 victory over visiting Bethune-Cookman Wednesday night at Addition Financial Arena.
"At the start of the game, we have to be better," UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said after the game. "I give Bethune-Cookman a lot of credit, because the reason we didn't start as well is because of them."
Cold shooting and turnovers plagued the Knights (9-2) in the first half. They shot just 25.8 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from 3-point range, while turning the ball over 11 times.
Collin Smith and Dazon Ingram, UCF's leading scorer and rebounder, both missed a significant time in the first half after picking up two quick fouls.
"It's always frustrating sitting down," Smith said on his early foul trouble.
While UCF was cold, Bethune-Cookman (5-7) was the opposite. The Wildcats shot 40.0 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from beyond the arc to get out to the surprising 34-21 lead at halftime, the Knights' largest halftime deficit of the 2019-20 season.
UCF started the second half much more like its normal self and quickly erased the halftime deficit. Led by Ceasar DeJesus's 13 second-half points, the Knights shot 64.0 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes to take the advantage.
The defense also stepped up, holding the Wildcats to 33.3 percent shooting from the field and just 16.7 percent from 3-point range in the second half.
"I think we made a more concerted effort to lock in defensively," Dawkins said. "In the first half, we were all over the place. We were too loose, our attention to detail was not there in the first half. Our guys found their way in the second half."
Having to overcome the foul trouble of Smith, the Knights battled in the second half. Every time UCF made a run to pull away, the Wildcats fought back to close the gap.
Bethune-Cookman cut it to three points late in the game, before the Knights held on for the 70-65 victory in Orlando.
DeJesus led the way with 17 points, Brandon Mahan added 11, while Smith chipped in with 10. Ingram had nine points and a game-high nine rebounds in the victory.
UCF returns to action Saturday on the road against Oklahoma. Tipoff for the Knights' final non-conference game of the season is set for 2 p.m. and can be seen on Fox Sports Oklahoma and Fox Sports Atlantic.
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