Johnny Dawkins isn’t getting caught up in who grabs the spotlight for UCF. The Knights’ coach just wants the wins to keep coming.
So far, that formula has worked. UCF is 3-0 heading into Friday’s home matchup with Georgia Southern in Orlando, Fla., and the Knights have already shown they can get it done in more than one way.
Dior Johnson has been the headliner, and the numbers back it up. He leads the nation in scoring at 31.0 points per game after putting up 24 points, nine assists and five steals in Tuesday’s 76-69 victory over South Alabama. But Johnson wasn’t carrying the load alone.
Carmelo Pacheco caught fire from deep, drilling eight 3-pointers on the way to 24 points. Dawkins pointed to the way UCF finished the first half and carried that edge into the second.
"I think in the second half we took the momentum from the last four minutes of the first half and ran with it," Dawkins said. "Melo was huge at the end of the first and throughout the second half."
South Alabama leaned on zone defense, and UCF needed a minute to sort it out. Once the Knights settled in, they found the openings and started making the defense pay. UCF shot 45.5% from the field and went 17 of 38 from 3-point range.
"They did a good job with the zone, so we had to adjust to it," Dawkins said. "You can try to simulate it in practice, but the bottom line is everyone plays it differently, so you have to find the seams, and I think our guys did that."
Georgia Southern arrives after a 97-91 overtime loss to Mercer on Tuesday, a game in which Dallas Gardner nearly pushed the Eagles to a win in regulation. Gardner finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks, and his two free throws with one second left sent the game to overtime.
Gardner, who missed all of last season with an injury, earned preseason All-Sun Belt Conference second-team honors.
Truman Claytor IV added 19 points with five 3-pointers, plus six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Eltramon Smith scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Jeromy Davis contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds.
"It's about building a foundation," Georgia Southern coach Charlie Henry told WJCL in October. "We want a team full of great teammates. That was the formula for us last year, and it's going to stay the formula for us as long as I'm here."
In Other News...
UCF Brings A Major Offensive Concern Into Arizona State Game
UCF heads into its matchup with Arizona State carrying a familiar kind of pregame uncertainty, but this one cuts especially close to the offense. The Knights already know they will be without running back Duke Watson, and the availability report also leaves several other skill-position pieces in flux as the team tries to sort out who can handle the load on the road.
The quarterback situation is the one that will draw the most attention, with Keyone Jenkins listed as questionable and backup options on hand if he cannot go. UCF is also dealing with absences on the defensive side, with Demari Henderson, DJ Bell and Kahmel Johnson ruled out, while linebacker Lewis Carter is at least trending toward a return. Even before kickoff, the Knights are working through a roster picture that could force them to adjust quickly at several spots. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Faces One Huge Lineup Question In Bowl-Clinching Spot
With bowl eligibility hanging in the balance, UCF heads into its Nov. 14 Big 12 matchup with Arizona State carrying more than the usual late-season weight. The Knights are back home for a game that could help lock in a postseason berth, and the return of quarterback Alonza Barnett III from injury gives the offense a much-needed lift as the stakes rise.
The bigger question is how the rest of the lineup will hold up around him, especially with several key injury situations still in play. Arizona State arrives with quarterback Cutter Boley and receiver Reed Harris, and with both teams entering the matchup with similar records, the margin for error is slim for a UCF group that needs a clean night to take care of business. [Read more 🡒]