GREENVILLE, N.C. – The UCF men's basketball team shot 63.6 percent in the second half to snap a three-game losing skid and defeat ECU by a score of 68-64 in an American Athletic Conference contest at Minges Coliseum Thursday night.
After leading 27-24 at halftime, senior Matt Milon ignited an 8-0 run with one of his five 3-pointers in the game to give the Knights a 48-38 advantage midway through the second period. Freshman Darin Green Jr. then hit a three and a jumper to give UCF the cushion it needed to keep the Pirates at bay.
The Knights (12-10, 3-7) extended their lead to as many as 17 points in the second half, but turnovers and missed free throws down the stretch allowed ECU (9-14, 3-7) to cut into the advantage.
"It was definitely an interesting way to close the game, but we'll take it," UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said after the win.
UCF missed six straight free throws, before senior Dazon Ingram stepped to the line and knocked down a pair to make the Knights' lead six points with 22 seconds to play, putting the game out of reach for the Pirates.
Milon finished with 17 points, two shy of his season best, knocking down 5-of-8 from long distance. Collin Smith added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Green finished with 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
Ingram scored six points, all from the free throw line, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out a career-high 10 assists. It marked the first time a UCF player recorded double-digit assists since B.J. Taylor had 10 against Mississippi State on Nov. 17, 2016.
"He did a great job of finding our shooters in rhythm," Dawkins said of Ingram. "Hitting them on target is a key to a terrific point guard, and I think he did a good job of that tonight."
The UCF defense held The American's leading scorer, Jayden Gardner, to just 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field. Gardner grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and went 3-of-5 from the free throw line.
The Knights finished the game 48.0 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from long range, connecting on 10-of-23 shots from beyond the arc.
"We believe in our guys. We know it's there," Dawkins said of the team's shooting. "I think you saw a glimpse of that tonight. Guys stepped up, they had their looks and they knocked them down."
UCF will now return to Orlando and get set for the #UCFinSpace game on Sunday. The Knights host Tulsa at 2 p.m. at Addition Financial Arena with coverage on ESPN3 and FM 96.9 The Game.
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