ANN ARBOR, Mich. – After winning its season opener last Monday, the UCF men's basketball team was handed its first loss of the 2020-21 season, falling on the road at Michigan by a score of 80-58 Sunday afternoon at the Crisler Center.
The Knights (1-1) had the advantage early thanks to an 11-0 run that put UCF up 25-13 just over halfway through the first period. Isaiah Adams and Brandon Mahan had a pair of buckets each during the stretch to lead the way.
Michigan (4-0) rallied back and then some, however, using a 15-0 run to regain the lead at 31-28 with 3:38 remaining in the first. The Wolverines took advantage of seven offensive rebounds and 24 paint points in the opening frame to take a 38-34 at the break.
"We have to be better," UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said after the game. "On the road, firs time out with a number of new players, I give Michigan credit. They kept coming at us for 40 minutes. They played a terrific game, and we have to be better."
The end of the first half was what almost the entire second half looked like, as the Wolverines outscored the Knights 42-24.
UCF shot just 35.0 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from 3-point range, while Michigan was 49.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from long distance. The Wolverines outrebounded the Knights 44-29 for the game and outscored the Black and Gold 38-22 in the paint.
Four Michigan players finished in double figures, led by Chaundee Brown's 18 points on 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
UCF got a career-high 21 points out of Brandon Mahan, who went 7-of-13 from the field and added a team-high five rebounds. Isaiah Adams also finished in double figures for the first time in his career, scoring 11 points and adding two steals.
The Knights will be back in action on Dec. 15, starting American Athletic Conference play at Houston. UCF and the Cougars will tip off at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and FM 96.9 The Game.
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Gameday app right to your iOS or Android phone. The app provides personalized information for men's and women's teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and even breaking news. Click here to download the app now.
