Senior forward Kasey Wilson led the Knights to victory in a game played against rival USF Wednesday night, snapping a six-game losing streak with the win.
Wilson tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds to notch his third career double-double, returning after 10 days without practice due to a concussion. Alongside Wilson, Daiquan Walker and Stephon Blair finished the night with 10 and 14 points, respectively. The trio’s balanced scoring attack held the lead most of the game for UCF and its packed student section.
“Coach was telling me ‘keep being aggressive,’ so it worked out and it helped me out,” said Kasey Wilson. “It was a good night and I’m thankful for it. We’ve all been positive and we’ve come together.”
The 73-62 win came as a welcome result for the players and the 6,200 fans in attendance. UCF held the lead from five minutes into the first half and through the end.
“I want to thank the students and the Knightmare section for coming out strong,” UCF head coach Donnie Jones said after the game. “Our guys brought that up right off the bat in the locker room. The energy that they provided tonight, and all the fans, made a great atmosphere for our players.”
Halftime saw the score at 35-26 in UCF’s favor after a 26-11 run made by the Knights. UCF’s largest lead increased to 20 points in the second half, soon cut to 9 after a few fast breaks by the Bulls, although that was about the closest the Bulls got to sniffing out a victory .
The Knights haven’t lost to USF by double digits since December of 2000. The loss brings USF’s record down to (7-17, 1-10) while improving UCF’s to (9-13, 2-9).
UCF will face the Bulls again in its last regular season game on March 4. The Knight’s next game will be at home against Houston, a team they beat previously in overtime, on Feb. 15 at 2:00 p.m.
