The UCF Knights defeated the FGCU Eagles 96-95 in overtime on Monday night at Addition Financial Arena to open the season. Despite trailing at halftime, the Knights rode a strong second half from transfers Dior Johnson and Arturo Dean to a victory.
“I really just was trying to get the win,” Johnson said. “Credit to my teammates and my coaches for believing in me and putting me in a position to be successful.”
In his return to UCF after a season at Tarleton State, Johnson led the game in scoring with 41 points, including 32 in the second half and overtime. Dean scored all of his 15 points in the second half and overtime.
“It means a lot for me; it’s emotional just to be back here,” Johnson said. “Not just the game is emotional, but just to be back here. I feel like it’s just all God.”
For FGCU, redshirt senior Bryson Lucas led the team with 25 points in his Eagles debut. Justin Houser, the first 7-footer in school history, had 20 points in his first game.
Game flow
First half
The Knights began the game hot on an 8-2 run, including four points from junior fan-favorite John Bol. UCF kept this momentum for most of the half until a 3 1/2-minute scoreless span led to a 9-0 run for the visiting Eagles to claim the lead.
FGCU’s Darren Williams and UCF’s Lewis Walker were tied for the game lead in points with 12, with all of Williams’ points coming off of threes. However, the two would only combine for seven points for the rest of the game.
Second half
Out of the break, UCF opened up a 9-2 run to take the lead back, including seven points from Johnson. His scoring streak continued, as Johnson scored 15 of the Knights’ first 20 points in the half.
“It’s great having Dior back,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. “It was so much fun this summer watching how he’s grown and developed.”
UCF’s lead ballooned to 12 halfway through the second period, but FGCU went on an 11-1 run in two minutes and put the Eagles right back in it. The teams continued to trade baskets and free throws for the next five minutes, with the teams combining for 15 free throws in five minutes.
In his first game in 18 months after heart surgery, Eagles guard BB Washington put his team up by two points on free throws. Johnson and Dean quickly responded with five points in 30 seconds to reclaim the lead late.
“What a win for him, right?” FGCU coach Pat Chambers said. “Two years, almost, heart surgery. It’s a miracle, right? Some people might hang it up, and he wanted to come back. So, a special young man.”
The Knights looked to have secured the win after Chase Konieczny missed a deep three, but a bad save attempt by Walker fell in Konieczny’s hands for an easy layup to send the game to overtime.
Overtime
UCF opened the extra period on a 7-0 run, but Eagles forward Bryson Lucas scored eight-straight points to tie the game late. Johnson scored four points to give the Knights the lead again, but another Konieczny three cut it to one with one second left.
Johnson was fouled, but missed both free throws. Lucas grabbed the rebound and threw up a full-court shot that hit the backboard and bounced out, giving the Knights the win.
“I thought it was going in too, but it should have never gotten to that point,” Lucas said.
The Knights finished the game shooting 50% from three on 18 attempts while the Eagles went 12-for-33 from beyond the arc. FGCU had 11 fewer free throw attempts than UCF, but both teams finished with 25 makes from the line.
“I know that [Johnson’s] gonna hold me accountable and I’m gonna hold them accountable,” Dean said.
After a months-long eligibility battle, former Gator Riley Kugel finished the game with 0 points in 13 minutes.
“I think Riley’s going to continue to kind of round himself into form,” Dawkins said. “It’s just a process for him. You’re talking about things that have been very difficult from the summer to the fall. Are guys in? Are guys out? Are guys in? Can you imagine going to practice every day and you don’t really know if you’re really going to play?”
Next up
The Knights will look to improve to 2-0 when they face the Yale Bulldogs on Friday. Yale opened the season with a win against Howard, who made the NCAA tournament last season.
“My first game as a head coach was against Yale,” Dawkins said. “I was at Stanford; that was my first game, on the road was against Yale at Yale. I have a healthy respect just being in that environment, seeing how well coached team they are.”
Tip-off against the Bulldogs is set for 7 p.m. on November 6.