MBB USF Falls to UCF, 64-54

[Brad]

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USF Falls to UCF, 64-54

Perry scores 18, McMurray scores 15 in Bulls’ loss. USF returns to action Saturday at Houston at 4 p.m.

 

TAMPA, JAN. 20, 2016 – USF led by eight points midway through the first half, but scoring droughts and misfires around the rim helped UCF come away with the 64-54 win at the Sun Dome Wednesday night.

The Bulls (3-17, 0-7 American Athletic Conference) led 16-8 nearly nine minutes into the contest. USF led 18-11 and then could not find the bottom of the net for over five minutes as UCF (10-6, 4-1) scored 13 unanswered points and took a 29-23 lead into halftime.

UCF took its largest lead of the game, 43-28, with 12:44 left to play. USF then went on an 18-7 run, with the help of six points each from Angel Nunez and Chris Perry, to trail 50-46 with 5:22 remaining. However, USF made just three of its final 10 field goal attempts and UCF went 7-of-8 from the free throw line in the final two minutes to seal the win for the Knights.

“It’s tough because I know the kids are feeling it,” said head coach Orlando Antigua. “When you talk about how we are defending the ball, rebounding the ball and tonight, we took care of the ball better, it’s just a matter of time I think. If we can get one, I think we can run off two, three or four finishing up. You just have to get the first one.”

USF was led by Perry, who had a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds. McMurray scored 15 points and made three of USF’s four 3-pointers while playing 39 minutes. Senior Angel Nunez joined the two in double figures with 10 points and added seven rebounds.

USF shot 32.9 percent from the field while UCF shot 40.0 percent. The biggest difference in the game was at the free throw line where UCF was 25-of-32 (78.1 percent) and USF was 4-of-11 (36.4 percent).

“We got 30 more shots than they did,” said Antigua of the 40 shot attempts that UCF had compared to the 70 of USF. “We just have to convert some of those. Some of the shots, we are right there and we are battling. It just won’t go.”

Just like the first meeting with the Knights, the Bulls held their ground down low against the stout UCF frontcourt that included 7-feet, 6-inch freshman center Tacko Fall. The Bulls tied the Knights in rebounds with 40, which included 18 (+12) offensive boards. USF outscored UCF in the paint, 32-16.

Fall scored five points and had nine rebounds for the Knights. A.J. Davis led the way for UCF with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

“We are doing good things,” said Antigua. We are just not getting the result in the win column.”

USF’s next attempt at some action in the win column is Saturday at 4 p.m. ET at Houston. The game will be televised on CBSSN.

 

[Sellular1]

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