• Final stats

Facing a local rival in a pivotal conference matchup, the UCF Knights’ leaders stepped up.

Redshirt senior A.J. Davis and redshirt junior B.J. Taylor combined for 47 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists to help the Knights (16-9, 7-6 in American Athletic Conference) beat the USF Bulls 72-57 at CFE Arena on Feb. 14.

Davis was coming off his most efficient game of the season–a 9-for-10 outing in UCF’s first-ever win at the University of Memphis–and carried that form into the rivalry matchup. He shot 9-for-12 from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line, for a game-high, career-high 26 points.

“He’s more decisive and playing with a lot of confidence,” Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins said after the win, per UCF. “It’s [about] how you want to leave your legacy. He has a chance to leave an amazing one, and I think he sees that, and he wants to make the most of the opportunity.”

Taylor scored 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting and tallied 6 assists. Davis and Taylor played 37 and 36 minutes, respectively.

UCF’s offense spearheaded the Knights’ seventh conference win of the season. The Knights, who are one of the worst scoring teams in the nation, shot 52.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from long range. Their 72 points were also about 10 points higher than their 342nd-ranked average of 63.4 points per game.

Bulls guard Stephen Jiggets drained a 3 to make it a two-point game with about 15 minutes to play in the game, but that’s when Davis started UCF’s game-closing run.

Davis drove into the paint for a layup and was fouled by USF’s Justin Brown. Two possessions after Davis completed his three-point play, Brown fouled another UCF player–this time, it was Rokas Ulvydas on a dunk. He also made his free throw to make it a six-point game.

Davis pushed the Knights’ lead to double digits with his third and final 3 at the 7:20 mark. From there, the Bulls never cut the deficit to single digits, as a Taylor layup with 1:26 to play pushed UCF’s lead to as high as 17.

Dayon Griffin was the only other Knight to score in double figures, earning all 12 of his points from 3-pointers. He went 4-for-6 from the field and 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.

Who’s Next?

The Knights stay at home for one more game before going on a two-game road trip. On Saturday, UCF hosts the SMU Mustangs (15-11, 5-8 in AAC) in a late-morning, 11 a.m. matchup. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

For more on the Knights, as they prepare for the Mustangs, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.