ORLANDO, FLORIDA---With six of their nine wins and all four of their losses being of the single-digit variety, it seemed even if the UCF Knights were playing a very small mid-major, the game would be down-to-the-wire. Like Bethune-Cookman small? Exactly!

Surprising everyone inside the CFE Arena, the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats ran out to a 9-0 lead behind two treys from Windemere, Florida, product Quinton Forrest. Even with a pair of twos to finally get on the board from UCF "fab freshman" and 7'6" center Tacko Fall, one an ally oop facilitated by Daiquan Walker, Gravelle Craig's crew continued to dominate, this time thanks to 15 points in the first 10 minutes from "star senior" Mario Moody, to increase their advantage to 14 (24-10)! 

But the Wildcats didn't stop there! They, in fact, were up 17 on the Knights with 7:26 remaining in the first half! 

What was going on with Donnie Jones' team? They were not scoring points! More specifically, they couldn't throw the basketball in the ocean, for UCF was shooting 23.5% (4-17) at the 3:13 mark in the first half. However, even though the Knights were doubled-up and down 16, Shaheed Davis guided his team to four makes in their next five attempts, two of which he bucketed, to show some life going into halftime down 39-26.

Rejuvenated from the intermission, S. Davis and UCF fully utilized the momentum they stole at the end of the first twenty minutes with an 18-4 march that provoked a timeout and gave them their first lead of the game (44-43)! 

Although Bethune-Cookman's Forrest would knot the game at 47 a little over a minute later, a UCF twine tickler from downtown by Walker and a monster slam by S. Davis seized back a two-possession lead (54-49) that would eventually be built to a game-high 17 (thanks to back-to-back treys from Matt Williams followed by consecutive Staphon Blair baskets). With the Knights up 68-51 and only 8:32 on the clock, the game seemed in hand for UCF. Ironically, it was anything but.

Now down 17, rather than up, the Wildcats were desperately looking for a basket. Thankfully, Ricky Johnson supplied! Even though it was only one of his three makes, Johnson was able to draw a foul on Blair and make the free throw to wither the deficit to 14 (8:23 left in regulation).

Less than a two minutes later, the UCF lead was down to 9 as Jordan Potts went on a personal 5-0 run. The Wildcats were on the prowl! 

Following a pair of clanks from "stud sophomore" Adonys Henriquez at the charity stripe with 4:46 left, Bethune-Cookman's Johnson made another shot, this time a triple, to make it a one-possession game! Was UCF now going to give away the W? 

Not yet, as Tanksley Efianayi and A.J. Davis quickly extended the distance to 7 with just over two minutes remaining. Ensuing one make out of two free throws converted from the Wildcats' Potts and both made by UCF's Efianayi, the Knights found themselves up 8 with 94 seconds remaining. 

Now the game was over, right? Wrong!

Despite making five of their six free throws in the final 33 seconds (Daiquan Walker missed one), UCF found themselves in a close game as Diamante Lewis and Jordan Potts made four out of four three-point attempts, including one from Potts with 0.8 remaining to send the game to an extra five minutes.

In overtime, the two traded baskets until Shaheed Davis added a layup and Walker a triple (which hit the front rim, went high in the air and fell home) to take a five-point edge. 

Another Wildcats' comeback? Not this time as after a Potts layup with 2:32 left, Bethune-Cookman finished the game two for six from the field and zero for three from beyond the arc. The UCF Knights were charging on to their 6th victory.

No Tacko, No McBride, No Problem

Down 17 with 10:02 left in the first half, UCF head coach Donnie Jones had to make a decision: Play small like Bethune-Cookman or try to compete with a true center on the floor. He did the prior...and it paid off. Playing 7'6" center Tacko Fall and 6'10" Justin McBride a total of ten minutes (both scored four points in five), Jones utilized a combination of Staphon Blair and Shaheed Davis to attack the Wildcats. The two undersized bigs were able to contribute a combined 29 points in 41 minutes.

Cookin' With Potts

With 8:36 left in the second half and Bethune-Cookman down 14, Mario Moody fouled out with a then game-high 19 points. Who would step up? None other than the team's leading scorer Jordan Potts. Although the 5'10" guard was only four for thirteen from the field at that moment, the redshirt junior righted his night by making seven of his next ten attempts while soaring his point total from 11 to 35! While his career-high 35 was not enough this evening, in most MEAC contests, the Wildcats would prevail with such an effort. Bethune-Cookman will continue what will be a seven game road trip at Arkansas State Monday.

You Lead, I Lead

UCF head coach Donnie Jones said it best: "What an emotional roller coaster that game was!" In a game that featured both teams having a 17-point lead and squandering it, Bethune-Cookman at UCF was a very exciting game for the neutral fan. Nonetheless, if you were a fan of one of the two teams, it had to be frustrating and emotionally draining."

He Said It (Part I)

"Just the way we (have) been practicing, I knew we were going to come out flat. But, I didn't think they would be like knocking down the shots that they did or come out playing the way that they played."
---UCF's Daiquan Walker (21 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists) on whether they expected a close, tight game against Bethune-Cookman.

He Said It (Part II)

"I practice that shot a lot, so I was just happy I hit it cause' you don't want to put in all that work and not hit that shot."
---Bethune-Cookman's Justin Potts on his game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation.

He Said It (Part III)

"I'm excited" said UCF head coach Donnie Jones. "I think the GW game gives us a week to practice some things we can correct, give guys attention that thinks it will be easy, that you got to bring it every night, and get ready to play an NCAA Tournament top-20 team right here in this building." VAVEL USA will bring post-game coverage from the CFE Arena in Orlando, Florida, Tuesday night following the George Washington/UCF game.