Fall’s double-double helps Knights win

Tacko Fall had 18 points and 11 rebounds to help UCF rout South Carolina State 89-64 on Thursday night, clinching the Knights’ fifth consecutive win.

Fall shot 7 of 9 from the field. Dayon Griffin and A.J. Davis each added 11 points for UCF (9-3), which shot 59 percent from the field. Chad Brown and Chance McSpadden chipped in 10 points apiece.

Donte Wright scored 19 points, making five 3-pointers to lead South Carolina State (4-11).

The Bulldogs cut a sevenpoint deficit and pulled to 44-43 on Ian Kinard's 3-pointer with 17 minutes left. Fall answered with a layup to spark a 19-2 run, with Davis making four free throws and a 3-pointer during the stretch.

South Carolina State missed six field goals and a free throw, and committed three turnovers before Justin Jones made a jumper with 11 minutes to play. made against Maine on Dec. 8, 2007. PJ Savoy, who scored a game-high 17 points, and M.J. Walker, who added 15, each made five 3s.

The Seminoles were 9 of 15 from beyond the arc in the first half and made 52.8 percent overall.

Braian Angola, who scored nine points, said the self-scouting was good for the team because it made players see the little things they weren't executing on.

“You could see us moving the ball way more,” he said. “We found open shots and it was great for us.”

Savoy also liked his teammates' attention to detail, noting that the game right before Christmas, when everyone goes home for a couple of days, tends to be the one in which players are the most distracted.

“Some guys' heads aren't in it because they are anxious to get home, but we made sure to address it and not make sure it happens,” he said.

Florida State, which was 37 of 66 from the field, led by 26 at halftime (47-21) and was up by as many as 57 late in the second half. Mfiondu Kabengele added 12 points for the Seminoles, who had 13 players in the scoring column.

Southern Mississippi (7-5) did not have any players in double figures as it saw its four-game winning streak snapped.

It shot a season-worst 29.5 percent from the field (18 of 61) and committed a season-high 19 turnovers. Cortez Edward, Eddie Davis III and Anfernee Hampton each scored eight points.

“Are you going to give up the paint or perimeter? We were giving up both,” coach Doc Sadler said.

“They are a great shooting team. We don't want people scoring in the paint which they did.”