BATON ROUGE, La. – The UCF men’s basketball team mounted a late comeback but came up short in an 85-81 exhibition loss to LSU on Wednesday evening inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Dior Johnson led the Knights with 18 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, while Jason Asemota and Lewis Walker each added 13 points. Cayden Vasko dished out a team-high five assists and John Bol paced UCF with eight rebounds.
The Knights struck first as Isaiah Malone converted an offensive rebound for a layup before adding a 3-pointer to help UCF jump out to an early lead. Walker made an immediate impact off the bench with a triple, but LSU battled back to take its first lead at 12-10.
UCF responded behind Asemota, who scored consecutive baskets to put the Knights back in front, 28-25, with 6:31 remaining in the first half. Asemota continued his hot shooting, knocking down three consecutive 3-pointers to help UCF carry a 47-45 advantage into the break.
Johnson opened the second half with a basket as the Knights looked to maintain their momentum. Ladarius Givan connected from beyond the arc off an assist from Vasko for his first points of the evening, keeping UCF within striking distance.
After LSU used an 8-0 run to build momentum, Tanner Jones halted the Tigers’ scoring surge with a layup. The Knights continued to battle, putting together a 6-0 run to pull within one at 72-71 with just over four minutes remaining.
Johnson then converted a layup to give UCF a 75-74 lead with just over three minutes to play. The Tigers regained the advantage, but Johnson answered again, driving for a layup to tie the contest at 81-81 with 33 seconds remaining.
LSU scored the final four points to secure the 85-81 victory.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
UCF men's basketball tickets are on sale now, including season tickets, single-game tickets and mini plans. Be sure to catch all the action starting Nov. 2 as the Knights return to the court. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the UCF Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000.
Season tickets, single-game tickets and mini plans are available now.
About UCF Athletics
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.