Knights bounce back from another halftime deficit

Photo courtesy of Diego Besne

UCF hit second gear in the second half Friday night, winning 87-75 against the Yale Bulldogs at Addition Financial Arena.

After a nail-biting finish in UCF’s overtime win over FGCU on Monday night, a 48-point second half propelled the Knights past the Bulldogs after trailing 42-39 at the break.

Head coach Johnny Dawkins said his team’s relentlessness was the deciding factor.

“A big part of any team’s success is finding a way to win when things aren’t going as well,” Dawkins said postgame. “We’ve shown ability to do that in our first couple of games, we’ve been down at halftime, and we fought hard to find a way to win.”

Coming off a 41-point performance in Monday’s win, redshirt senior guard Dior Johnson continued right where he left off as he led the charge with 28 points on the night.

Redshirt seniors Elijah Hulsewe and Arturo Dean relished the win on their birthdays, combining for 20 points.

Dean had a night himself as he tallied 10 points, five assists and one steal. Hulsewe recorded his second double-double in his career and his first in a Knights uniform, with 10 points and rebounds, as well as a block.

Only two games into the regular season, the Knights feel they will continue to grow together as they added 11 new faces to the roster, including Dean, who transferred in from Oklahoma State.

“I think we’re starting to gel together a lot better from the exhibition games; that’s just us figuring each other out,” Dean said. “I feel like this team is nowhere close to where we really want to be, but it’s okay, I feel like we’re striving for that.”

After a scrappy first half, the Knights (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) pulled away.

The Bulldogs (1-1, 0-0 Ivy League) struck first, taking an early 3-0 lead. Senior forward Isaiah Malone later put the Knights on the board with a free throw.

That free throw was Malone’s only point of the first half before he was called for a flagrant one foul with 10:28 on the clock, limiting his minutes for the rest of the half.

The Knights fell behind 22-11 halfway through the opening 20 minutes, shooting only 4-for-14 on field goals and 0-for-5 from three-point range.

UCF later tallied its first three thanks to senior guard Carmelo Pacheco, who scored his first points of the season after being held scoreless in UCF’s victory over FGCU.

Pacheco’s three-pointer cut down the deficit to 22-14 with 9:51 left in the first half.

A critical driving layup by Yale forward Riley Fox extended the Bulldogs’ lead to as large as 13 points in the first half at 35-22 with 4:32 left to play.

The Knights’ defense struggled to contain the Bulldogs’ playmaker, who recorded 15 of his 24 team-leading points by halftime.

Although down double digits, the Knights fought back in the closing minutes to keep it tight, rallying behind a 17-7 run led by Johnson, who accounted for 12 of those points.

Johnson led the Knights’ offense in the first half, scoring 19 of his team-leading 28 points while shooting 6-for-9 from the floor.

After a strong first half, the Knights entered the locker room down 42-39.

The Knights came out of the break with a full head of steam as Dean found junior center John Bol in the paint, who slammed the ball into the basket to give the Knights their first lead of the game at 43-42.

The Bulldogs did not hold back and tied it at 49 with 14:14 left in the contest. Redshirt sophomore forward Lewis Walker put the Knights back in front with a layup shortly after.

Fifth-year guard Riley Kugel found his rhythm moments later, putting together seven straight points to put the Knights ahead 61-59.

Although it was a quiet first half for Malone, he still made his mark with a huge block with 8:49 on the clock that led to a Johnson three-pointer. Malone followed suit and hit his own three just a minute later, pushing the Knights’ lead to 74-61.

Dawkins knows how big an impact Malone can make on the court but emphasizes the need for discipline to stay out of foul trouble.

“He made a huge impact in the second half when he got going; that’s who Isaiah is, he can really play,” Dawkins said. “He has to be more disciplined and pick his spots to do different things on the floor. That’s the way you stay out of foul trouble; it’s just a discipline factor.”

Malone finished the night with eight points and six total rebounds. including four offensive ones, along with the momentum-shifting block.

The Knights continued to put pressure on the Bulldogs as they pulled further away in the closing minutes.

Hulsewe scored the final layup for the Knights with less than a minute left, securing his first double-double with the program.

With Dawkins entrusting him with a larger role, he embraced the opportunity to perform but emphasized team success over personal success.

“It means everything to me, playing with my brothers out there; it means everything,” Hulsewe said. “I want my team to succeed. If I succeed, I want everybody around me to succeed and that’s what’s happening.”

As the buzzer sounded, the second-half effort by the Knights stamped an 87-75 victory over the Bulldogs and extended their non-conference win streak to 12.

The Knights finished shooting 45.6% from the field, including 5-for-23 from three.

The Knights’ defense also stepped up in the second half, forcing the Bulldogs to shoot 39.3% from the field after they shot 50% in the first half.

UCF will remain at home and host the South Alabama Jaguars (1-1, 0-0 SBC) on Tuesday at Addition Financial Arena at 7 p.m.