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Dior Johnson's 41 Points Lead UCF to 96-95 Victory Over FGCU
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- Dior Johnson's 41 Points Lead UCF to 96-95 Victory Over FGCU
(IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters Connect)
UCF men's basketball began it's quest for another March Madness bid on Monday night, taking on the in-state rival Florida Gulf Coast (FGCU) Eagles to start the season.
The Knights escaped in overtime with a 96-95 victory, escaping a big upset to start the year.
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It was an evenly-fought battle between UCF and FGCU throughout the first half, with the Eagles answering the Knights' runs.
Junior FGCU guard Darren Williams got off to a hot start, knocking down four early 3-pointers and helping the Eagles build a two-point advantage at the halftime break.
But, luckily for UCF, senior guard Dior Johnson had his own scoring flurry, pouring in seven point during his first stint on the floor.
As has become commonplace for Johnson, he finished the night as the game's top scorer, notching 41 points on stellar 13-for-15 shooting and setting multiple UCF records.
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Not only is it the highest debut scoring output in program history, but Johnson's 41 also represents the third-most points scored by a UCF Knight in the D1 era.
Johnson also tied his career-high mark with four made 3-pointers, showing his ability to score from all three levels.
With UCF needing to make up some ground in the second-half, Johnson quickly got back to work, using an early 3-pointer to open up future driving lanes for the remainder of the half.
Throughout the second, Johnson found space in the mid-range, using the elevation he gains on his jumpshot to attack from the in-between.
But, FGCU continued to battle back, with senior forward Bryson Lucas beginning to get going from deep.
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Lucas began to step out and take advantage of his speed against UCF center John Bol in crunch time, making multiple 3-pointers down the stretch.
Eventually, the Knights opted to put a smaller defender on Lucas, and force him off the 3-point line.
Johnson did the rest in the extra period, closing out the win with key free-throw makes in the double-bonus.
While the one-point victory is certainly too close for comfort, the Knights gained some early experience in a close game, which will pay dividends as the competition and pressure increases.
Nevertheless, a win is a win, and the continued scoring production from Johnson has him poised as a potential suitor to lead the Big 12 Conference in points per game.
UCF is back in action on Friday, at 7:00 p.m. against Yale.
The Bulldogs are also 1-0, having knocked off Howard 72-62 on Monday night.
