Knights Fend off the Dolphins, Win 63-54

UCF Basketball rallies late for win over Jacksonville.

Brian Smith | Nov 16, 2021

ORLANDO - It was not an ideal game against Jacksonville, but the UCF Basketball team found a way to win. There were moments of serious concern, as the Knights looked out of whack offensively. That continued until late in the game, but UCF did find a way to win.

Starting Lineup

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐩

𝟐 𝐆 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲, 𝟔-𝟐
𝟏𝟑 𝐆 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐧, 𝟔-𝟓
𝟐𝟐 𝐆 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐉𝐫., 𝟔-𝟒
𝟐𝟏 𝐅 𝐂𝐉 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫, 𝟔-𝟖
𝟑𝟒 𝐅 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐤𝐡 𝐌𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝟔-𝟏𝟏#ChargeOn #GoKnights @UCF_MBB
— Inside The Knights (@UCF_FanNation) November 17, 2021

While Jacksonville did a nice job of shooting early on, the Knights starting five did not flinch.

Keys to the Game

Going into tonight’s game, the preview article defined passing and defense as the keys.

First Half Statistics of Note

UCF - 12/29 overall, 3/15 from three, and 2/2 from the free throw line.

Jacksonville - 12/22 overall, 4/9 from three, and no free throws attempted.

Both teams committed just four turnovers, while the Knights blocked two shots compared to Jacksonville not blocking any shots during the first stanza.

Key Game Statistic

For the game, UCF’s defense created more havoc. Jacksonville turned it over 24 times to UCF’s eight. That plus-16 differential is why the Knights came out victorious. The shooting, however, was not pretty.

Shooting Comparison Was Ugly

One of the areas that hurt UCF would be Jacksonville’s success behind the arc. With 7:33 remaining in the half, Jacksonville led 19-15 due in large part to being 3/7 from three, compared to UCF’s 1/10.

With roughly five minutes remaining in the first half, Jacksonville was 10/18 shooting while UCF was 7/21.

The second half was not much better, but with Brandon Mahan’s back-to-back three point shots that put the Knights up 59-54, the three ball did give UCF a lead it never relinquished.

That large disparity is going to cost UCF if it happens versus better competition. For the game, UCF was 23/54 and Jacksonville was 22/47.

Top Offensive Performer

As expected, Darin Green, Jr. did a really good job of knocking down shots. He knocked down his first three of the game with 18:23 remaining in the first half, and he continued to fire from deep.

For the game, Green finished with 11 points to pace the Knights.

Defensive Stopper

With Cheikh Mbacke Diong patrolling the middle, UCF’s defense is just different. He is capable of blocking shots, but like he did versus Miami and continued to do so against Jacksonville, but he’s also a good on-ball defender and plays the passing lanes.

He can guard 30 feet from the hoop, in a variety of ways. That’s rare for a 6-11 player. Mbacke Diong has a shot to play pro ball for quite some time if he continues his all-around defensive efforts.

For the game, Mbacke Diong had eight points, two rebounds and two blocks, but his presence near and away from the basket really changed the game.

Off the Bench

No doubt that Dre Fuller, Jr. deserves this distinction. He scored five points in less than a minute, cutting the deficit from 26-20 to 26-25, late in the first half. Fuller led the Knights with seven first half points, and he accomplished that with just three minutes of playing time.

Dre Fuller, Jr. UCF Basketball — Dre Fuller, Jr. took home the "Knightmare of the Game" Award for his overall play / Brian Smith, Inside The Knights

In the second half, Fuller had a huge dunk at the 6:09 mark to cut the deficit to 49-48. Overall, his energy and effort were bright spots for the Knights.

Big Shot

With 4:12 remaining, Darius Perry knocked down his first three of the game. It tied the score at 51.

Best lineup?

Was there one? UCF was never truly in sync this evening. The shooting was too poor for Head Coach Johnny Dawkins to keep a single unit together for very long. After watching the Knights shoot the basketball this evening, nobody should blame Coach Dawkins for his approach either. There just was not any cohesive offensive unit all night long.

Big Late-Game Spurt Propelled Knights

From the 3:33 mark to the 1:21 mark, UCF went on a 10-0 run. That helped UCF take the lead and it changed the momentum as the crowd really got into the contest. UCF added two more points, finishing with a 12-0 run and the victory.

Areas to Improve Upon

During the first five minutes, UCF did not shoot a shot inside the three-point line. Not one. The Knights began the game 1/6 and trailed 6-3 at the first media timeout. This was Jacksonville, a solid team, but nothing like Auburn or Michigan that will be played fairly soon.

Moving forward, the Knights must find a way to get into the lane and create shots without relying on the three ball so often. The first score inside the arc came from Cheikh Mbacke Diong during a fast break.

From UCF’s first 15 shots, nine came from behind the arc, with Green making the lone three ball from those nine. That’s also true for rebounding.

With 15:52 remaining in the game, the Knights were being destroyed on the boards by a count of 19-12. That’s just unacceptable. UCF possessed more talent, more size, more length.

At the end of the game, UCF had been out rebounded 36-22.