Once again, the Knights left their all out on their home court, leaving no one questioning their place in the Big 12 conference. On Saturday afternoon, at 4 pm, the team battled valiantly against the Oklahoma Sooners (#23), coming out on top with a final score of 74-63. This is the second ranked team they have beaten this season. Not to be overlooked, the Knights also triumphed over last year’s Big 12 champion, the Texas Longhorns, while on the road. While Texas was unranked at the time, the victory served as a testament to the UCF basketball program’s potential for this season and those in the future. It is becoming more and more evident that the UCF men’s basketball team is doing far more than just proving their place among the big leagues.
The Knights’ growing reputation has begun to garner the attention of prime-time television personalities, including the likes of SportsCenter sportscasters Scott Van Pelt and “Stanford Steve” Steve Coughlin. The two commentators watched on as player of the game, Antwann Jones, scored three 3-point shots early on in the first half. UCF maintained a safe lead throughout the entirety of the game, only cutting it close around the 7-minute mark of the first half when the Sooners closed an 8-point gap, bringing the score within 3 points at 20-17. The Knights quickly strengthened their lead, putting a space of 9 points between them and Oklahoma within the first four minutes of the second half. Notably, 12 successful blocks were made by the UCF defense during the game, further solidifying their standing as the top shot-blocking team in the Big 12. The victory was not only a milestone for the UCF basketball program, but for head coach Johnny Dawkins, whose 300th career win was marked by the game.
The team aims to increase the number of wins under Coach Dawkins’ belt in their remaining games this season, looking first toward Texas Tech. At 4 pm, February 10th, the Knights take on the Red Raiders in enemy territory – the United Supermarkets Arena. Go Knights, Charge On!
