UCF basketball: 3 reasons Knights rallied, stunned No. 15 Texas A&M in opener

ORLANDO — It’s a mostly new group, and one that was shorthanded due to a combination of injuries and foulouts, but UCF basketball coach Johnny Dawkins saw his “type of team” emerge in the final minutes of Monday’s season-opening stunner.

The Knights clamped down on No. 15 Texas A&M with persistence, intensity and grit on the defensive end, holding the Aggies scoreless for the final 2:13 and putting together a 12-1 closing run to complete an improbable comeback and score a 64-61 victory at Addition Financial Arena.

UCF (1-0) recorded its 11th all-time win against a ranked opponent. Dawkins has overseen nine of those victories — including four at home since the start of 2023-24.

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“I thought it showed an amazing toughness because you really have to dig down deep to get those stops, especially with that team having momentum down the stretch,” Dawkins said. “Our guys just kept fighting and kept understanding the importance of getting stops — and not only stops, but closing them out with rebounds.”

UCF began the night without its leading returning scorer Jaylin Sellers, who Dawkins said is dealing with unspecified soreness, and touted redshirt freshman Mikey Williams, who donned a protective boot around his left foot. Tyler Hendricks and Cameron Simpson were also unavailable for the Knights.

Starting center Moustapha Thiam and veteran wing Keyshawn Hall both fouled out within the game’s final four minutes to further shorten the bench.

Texas A&M (0-1) led for more than 35 minutes, collected 16 offensive rebounds and maintained a 32-14 scoring edge in the paint. And yet, Knights fans stormed the court after a final 10-second flurry in which the Aggies jacked up three unsuccessful potential game-tying 3-point attempts.

So, how did UCF rally from a double-digit deficit to send shockwaves throughout college basketball on opening night? Here are three reasons:

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ucf-basketball-3-reasons-knights-070710784.html

Author : Daytona Beach News-Journal

Publish date : 2024-11-05 07:07:00

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