(Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)
Game Recap
One Southeastern Conference team in a week wasn’t enough for the UCF Knights. On Sunday, the Knights (5-3) ventured to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and defeated the No. 24 Alabama Crimson Tide (6-2) 65-62 in a down-to-the-wire matchup.
Point guard Terrell Allen led the Knights with team-highs in points (16), assists (8) and steals (4) in a full, 40-minute game. Senior Djordjije Mumin, who made his first-career start in the loss to the Missouri Tigers on Nov. 30, added 11 points on a 4-for-5 shooting clip, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range, in a career-high 28 minutes.
Six minutes into the second half, the Knights took the lead and never relinquished it. UCF grew its lead as high as nine points with nine minutes to play before Alabama tied it at the 53-second mark.
SEC leading scorer Collin Sexton, who was limited to seven free throws and no field goals, drew Tacko Fall’s final personal foul and made both free throws to tie the game at 62-62. Forward A.J. Davis drew a foul on the other end and made just one of his free throws for a one-point lead. On ‘Bama’s next possession, Allen recorded his fourth steal and eighth assist, sending the ball forward to Dayon Griffin for a narrowly contested, fast-break layup.
UCF overcame an 11-point deficit late in the first half. The Knights, however, made it a six-point game before halftime, courtesy of free throws by Allen.
Player of the Game: G Terrell Allen
Allen led the Knights in four different categories and never came off the court except for halftime and timeouts. He also recorded season-highs in points, assists, steals and minutes.
What’s next?
The Knights will finish finals before returning to CFE Arena on Saturday to host Southern University.
NDR Notes
- Allen recorded season-highs in points, assists, steals and minutes in the win over Alabama.
- Sexton was limited to his lowest points total all season, scoring just seven points on 7-for-8 free-throw shooting. Entering Sunday’s game, he led the SEC with 24.7 points per game.
- Mumin recorded career-highs in points and minutes.
- With the win over ‘Bama, the Knights snap their three-game losing streak.
- UCF is 1-1 against SEC opponents this season, losing 62-59 to Missouri.
Scoring
| H1 | H2 | Final | |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | 36 | 26 | 62 |
| UCF Knights | 30 | 35 | 65 |
Statistics
Team Leaders
| Alabama Crimson Tide | UCF Knights | |
| Points | Donta Hall (20) | Terrell Allen (16) |
| Rebounds | Dazon Ingram (7) | A.J. Davis (7) |
| Assists | Dazon Ingram, Herbert Jones (4) | Terrell Allen (8) |
| Blocks | Donta Hall, Daniel Giddens (4) | A.J. Davis, Tacko Fall, Rokas Ulvydas (1) |
| Steals | Herbert Jones (5) | Terrell Allen (4) |
| Turnovers | Collin Sexton, Dazon Ingram, Herbert Jones (3) | Terrell Allen (5) |
| Minutes | John Petty, Dazon Ingram (33) | Terrell Allen (40) |
For more on the Knights, as they return home to CFE Arena on Saturday, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
[…] their biggest win of the season. UCF (5-3) traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Dec. 3 and earned a narrow, 65-62 win over the then-No. 24 Alabama Crimson Tide. Six days later, UCF will host Southern University (2-6). The Jaguars lost their first five games […]
[…] they’ve lost. Even without last season’s leading scorer B.J. Taylor, the Knights (5-3) managed a 65-62 win over the then-No. 24 Alabama Crimson Tide on Dec. 3, UCF’s second ranked opponent of the 2017-18 season. That’s provided the team with a […]
[…] Recap […]
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