ORLANDO – The UCF men’s basketball team put together a complete performance Tuesday night, cruising to a 97-60 victory over Florida A&M inside Addition Financial Arena. It was an all-around team effort for the Knights, as 12 players found their way into the scoring column to help secure the dominant home win.
The victory moves UCF to 2-1 on the season, while Florida A&M drops to 0-3.
We got off to a good start, I’m really proud of our guys. I was really happy with their effort and execution, especially in the first half. I admire FAMU and their ability to shoot and drive the basketball. I think our guys did a good job defending that 3-point line.
Johnny DawkinsMen's Basketball Head CoachThe Knights wasted no time setting the tone, opening the game with a quick basket from Themus Fulks to get on the board first. Moments later, back-to-back three-pointers from Jamichael Stillwell and Riley Kugel gave UCF an early 10-3 advantage. The Knights maintained their intensity on both ends of the floor, using a 7-0 run midway through the period to widen the gap. The surge was punctuated by a pair of dunks from Jordan Burks that brought the bench to its feet and stretched the lead to 34-12.
As the first half wound down, freshman Carmelo Pacheco drilled a deep three-pointer just before the buzzer to send UCF into the locker room with a commanding 48-20 lead. The Knights were red-hot from beyond the arc, shooting 7-for-11 from three-point range in the half, while Kugel connected on both of his attempts. Defensively, UCF stifled the Rattlers, limiting them to just 28.6 percent shooting from the field. The 20 points allowed marked the Knights’ fewest in a first half since holding Maine to 18 on Dec. 18, 2023.
Florida A&M opened the second half with a 4-0 spurt to slightly trim the deficit, but UCF quickly responded. Kugel continued to make his presence felt offensively, while Devan Cambridge added a spark off the bench by draining a three-pointer to rebuild the Knights’ comfortable lead. UCF’s balanced scoring attack kept the pressure on, pushing the advantage to 30 midway through the half and eventually extending it to 35 with under five minutes remaining.
The crowd erupted late in the game when redshirt senior Poohpha Warakulnukroh sank his first basket of the season, giving the Knights a 38-point edge. In the final minute, John Bol powered his way to a second-chance layup to put the finishing touches on UCF’s 97-60 win.
UCF’s shooting touch carried throughout the night, as the Knights knocked down 13 of 20 shots from three-point range, including a 6-for-9 effort in the second half. Chris Johnson set a career high with three steals, while Cambridge notched a career-best four assists in the win.
Three Knights scored in double figures, led by Pacheco’s team-high 17 points. Kugel followed closely with 16 points, going a perfect 3-for-3 from deep — the first time in his career he’s accomplished the feat — and George Beale Jr. added 10 points to round out the trio. Burks led the team on the glass with seven rebounds, and the UCF bench once again shone, contributing 51 points to the team’s total.
UP NEXT
The Knights will hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to College Station for a matchup against Texas A&M on Friday, November 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Reed Arena.