Knights answer wake-up call
Dawkins’ second-half message gets through in fifth straight victory
UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins called for a timeout early in the second half of Sunday’s game versus Sacred Heart. He had watched his Knights quickly squander a nine-point halftime lead thanks to poor shooting and even worse ballhandling. The message to his players was direct.
“Wake up,” freshman guard Dre Fuller Jr. relayed after the contest. “We came out in the second half asleep. We thought we’d won the game.”
UCF’s defense did come out of its slumber after that huddle, holding the Pioneers to 34.6% shooting the rest of the way and allowing the Knights to claim a 76-65 victory. It was UCF’s fifth consecutive victory and improved the Knights’ record to 8-2.
But it came with a warning from Dawkins: “We were able to survive this game, but as we continue to play some teams, that’s not going to work out for us.”
The lull was surprising because the Knights had won the final three minutes of the first half in resounding fashion, thanks in part to Fuller’s energy and hustle. His put-back basket in the closing seconds followed by a block at the buzzer capped a 9-0 run, which gave the Knights a lead and all of the momentum heading into the locker room.
Yet UCF committed three turnovers and missed five of six shots to begin the second half before Dawkins halted the action. By then, the Pioneers (6-5) had cut that nine-point deficit to one.
The contest would go back and forth for the next few minutes until UCF guard Frank Bertz put together a 7-0 run by himself. First, he hit a 3-pointer to give the lead back to the Knights. Then off a UCF steal, Bertz went in for a breakaway layup. As he slowed and went up, Bertz was wrapped around the waist by Sacred Heart forward Jare’l Spellman. Bertz made the basket but then crashed to the floor due to the contact. Upon review, Spellman was assessed a flagrant foul.
“I don’t think [Spellman] meant to do what he did, but I think the way Frank gathered himself, it was kind of a little unorthodox, and of course, Spell
man ran into him,” Dawkins said. “Lo and behold, you put your arms around a guy that’s laying the ball up, it’s an automatic flagrant. I’m just glad Frank wasn’t hurt.”
Bertz’s teammates knew he would be OK because he just keeps going and going.
“He’s the Energizer Bunny,” forward Collin Smith said. “So he’s going to get up and just start running back and forth after that.”
Bertz did get up and sank the ensuing two free throws. Forward Avery Diggs followed with another basket to put UCF back up by seven.
This time, the Knights wouldn’t let their advantage slip. If they had, they knew it would mean a few more uncomfortable days of practice. That’s what life had been like for the players leading into this game and after the Green Bay Phoenix shot 75% during the second half of Tuesday’s win.
“Those three practices before the game were pretty hectic about defense,”
Smith said. “We made sure that was going to be our key this game so we wouldn’t get yelled at.”
Smith scored a teamhigh 14 points and corralled 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. The junior also took two charges and has now drawn a change in each of UCF’s 10 games this year. Even though he plays with his left shoulder in a wrap and with a mask to protect his fractured nose, Smith welcomes the contact.
“I was pretty much always a charge-taker, so it’s in my blood,” he said with a smile.
Spellman paced the Pioneers with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Cameron Parker entered the game with a nation-leading 96 assists, including 64 in his past four games. But with Sacred Heart hitting just 38.8% of its shots, Parker finished with six assists Sunday.
The Knights will look to run their win streak to six and sweep this four-game homestand with a victory over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.