Written by Adrian Beecher
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Orlando, FL- Nick Banyard tied his career high with 18 points, while AJ Davis added a double-double to help to lead the Knights together to a 71-53 victory over the Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tuesday night. Things were back and forth early on, but in the second half, UCF pulled away and stayed dominate till the end. Here’s how it all went down at CFE Arena.
The Golden Hurricane won the tip and quickly got to work, as Junior Etou put in a layup after gaining an offensive rebound. Then it was UCF’s turn as Tacko Fall put in the bucket to tie it back up quickly. After a failed offensive possession by Tulsa, Nick Banyard hit a triple and then it was quickly answered. Banyard again hit another triple, and Matt Williams followed to make it 11-5 for the Knights with 15:50 left to play.
After BJ Taylor had made 1 of two free throws to make it a 12-5 game, Tulsa was able to get things going. Corey Henderson Jr. put in a jumper and soon after Pat Birt followed suit with a triple to cut UCF’s lead to just 2 point’s. After a layup from Fall for UCF, both teams went 3 minutes without any scoring, before UCF hit back to back triples with one from Matt Williams and the other from A.J. Davis to give the Knights a 10 point lead.
Jaleel Wheeler was able to halt the run for Tulsa with a layup to make it 20-12 with 7:58 left to play in the first half. The Knights were again able to put distance between them and the Golden Hurricane, in fact, with 5:06 left in the fist half, UCF was leading by 12 points. Then Tulsa’s Junior Etou hit a triple to start things. Then it was Pat Birt getting to the line hitting two and then a steal by Sterling Taplin and a layup for Birt that cut it to just a 5 point game at 26-21 with UCF leading.
Determined to get back in this one, Tulsa kept fighting and were able to a 2 point game as Etou hit another triple and make it 29-27 with UCF on top. The Knights would add two free throws before the half as they went into the locker room with the 31-27 lead on Tulsa.
Halfway through it was Matt Williams leading the charge for UCF with 10 points and three rebounds. The Golden Hurricane was being led by Junior Etou with 8 points and 4 rebounds with 6 of his eight points coming off triples.
UCF started with the ball in the 2nd half, but it was Tulsa getting the first bucket of the game with a Martins Igbanu 3 pointer to cut it to a 1 score lead. Then after a bucket by UCF, it was Igbanu with a layup and a free throw picking up the foul on the play to tie things up a 33 with 18:08 left in regulation.
Nick Banyard was able to hit back-to-back triples for UCF as he put them up 39-33, continuing where he left off in the first half. Then it was Sterling Taplin answering with a triple of his own to cut it to a 3-point game. After two minutes of scoreless basketball, it was Igbanu with two free throws to cut the lead to just one point with 13:57 let to play.
After that, it was back to back trips to the free throw line as Fall hit 1 of two and AJ Davis hit two to make it 42-38 with 13:23 left in regulation. This was just the start of the onslaught as UCF opened up a 50-40 lead on the Golden Hurricane. Then Henderson hit a triple for Tulsa as they cut it to 7. As they went back and forth it was a 10-point game with 7:18 left to play with UCF leading 54-44.
After struggling most of the game, BJ Taylor was able to get in on the action for UCF with a floater for two and then followed it up with a triple as UCF took a strong 13-point lead. Then it was AJ Davis with the scoop and score to make it 63-48 with 4:48 left to play, forcing Tulsa to take a timeout.
Henderson ended the drought again, this time with two free throws. Then UCF added eight unanswered points to make it 71-50 with just 20 seconds left. However, Tulsa was able to put in a triple in the final second coming off the hands of Junior Etou. In the end, it was a dominating 71-53 win for the Knights as they improved to 16-10 on the season.
The Golden Hurricane won the tip and quickly got to work, as Junior Etou put in a layup after gaining an offensive rebound. Then it was UCF’s turn as Tacko Fall put in the bucket to tie it back up quickly. After a failed offensive possession by Tulsa, Nick Banyard hit a triple and then it was quickly answered. Banyard again hit another triple, and Matt Williams followed to make it 11-5 for the Knights with 15:50 left to play.
After BJ Taylor had made 1 of two free throws to make it a 12-5 game, Tulsa was able to get things going. Corey Henderson Jr. put in a jumper and soon after Pat Birt followed suit with a triple to cut UCF’s lead to just 2 point’s. After a layup from Fall for UCF, both teams went 3 minutes without any scoring, before UCF hit back to back triples with one from Matt Williams and the other from A.J. Davis to give the Knights a 10 point lead.
Jaleel Wheeler was able to halt the run for Tulsa with a layup to make it 20-12 with 7:58 left to play in the first half. The Knights were again able to put distance between them and the Golden Hurricane, in fact, with 5:06 left in the fist half, UCF was leading by 12 points. Then Tulsa’s Junior Etou hit a triple to start things. Then it was Pat Birt getting to the line hitting two and then a steal by Sterling Taplin and a layup for Birt that cut it to just a 5 point game at 26-21 with UCF leading.
Determined to get back in this one, Tulsa kept fighting and were able to a 2 point game as Etou hit another triple and make it 29-27 with UCF on top. The Knights would add two free throws before the half as they went into the locker room with the 31-27 lead on Tulsa.
Halfway through it was Matt Williams leading the charge for UCF with 10 points and three rebounds. The Golden Hurricane was being led by Junior Etou with 8 points and 4 rebounds with 6 of his eight points coming off triples.
UCF started with the ball in the 2nd half, but it was Tulsa getting the first bucket of the game with a Martins Igbanu 3 pointer to cut it to a 1 score lead. Then after a bucket by UCF, it was Igbanu with a layup and a free throw picking up the foul on the play to tie things up a 33 with 18:08 left in regulation.
Nick Banyard was able to hit back-to-back triples for UCF as he put them up 39-33, continuing where he left off in the first half. Then it was Sterling Taplin answering with a triple of his own to cut it to a 3-point game. After two minutes of scoreless basketball, it was Igbanu with two free throws to cut the lead to just one point with 13:57 let to play.
After that, it was back to back trips to the free throw line as Fall hit 1 of two and AJ Davis hit two to make it 42-38 with 13:23 left in regulation. This was just the start of the onslaught as UCF opened up a 50-40 lead on the Golden Hurricane. Then Henderson hit a triple for Tulsa as they cut it to 7. As they went back and forth it was a 10-point game with 7:18 left to play with UCF leading 54-44.
After struggling most of the game, BJ Taylor was able to get in on the action for UCF with a floater for two and then followed it up with a triple as UCF took a strong 13-point lead. Then it was AJ Davis with the scoop and score to make it 63-48 with 4:48 left to play, forcing Tulsa to take a timeout.
Henderson ended the drought again, this time with two free throws. Then UCF added eight unanswered points to make it 71-50 with just 20 seconds left. However, Tulsa was able to put in a triple in the final second coming off the hands of Junior Etou. In the end, it was a dominating 71-53 win for the Knights as they improved to 16-10 on the season.