The UCF Knights (1-0) basketball team opened up their inaugural American Athletic Conference season with a 97-72 trouncing of the Tampa Spartans (0-1) at the CFE Arena in Orlando.
Isaiah Sykes notched 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists while delivering one of his trademark hustle performances. Sykes was all over the court and created opportunities for the Knights on a consistent possession basis with his nonstop 110 percent effort.
Calvin Newell Jr. solidified his role as a leading scorer with 23 points, as he displayed a striking resemblance to the Sykes business model. Newell’s efficiency was the most impressive aspect of his night, however, knocking down eight out of 10 field goals and three out of four from behind the arc.
“He’s a scoring point guard…,” UCF Coach Donnie Jones said of Newell. “…He’s got the ability to get other guys shots and run our offense.”
The Knights looked focused in their first bout as a member of the AAC, despite Tampa classifying this game as an exhibition game. The score may indicate a well-played game, but UCF’s head coach saw plenty to be improved upon.
“We’ve got to execute better. I know we scored 97 points tonight, but we’ve got to come down and run an offense,” Jones noted. “We’re not going to get a lot of those easy buckets like we got tonight against one of the best defensive teams, in the top five every year, in the nation like Florida State.”
With Florida State coming to town Wednesday at 7 p.m., for the first time in UCF history in any sport, the Knights will have little room for error if they hope to make an early statement in this young season.
