NFL Round Table Show
The UCF Knights (3-1) go head-to-head with the Santa Clara Broncos (3-1) at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday in the Bahamas Championship. The Knights are 3.5-point favorites with the total set at 139.5 points.
UCF has strung together three-straight wins both SU and ATS following its season-opening overtime loss to UNCA (98-95) with victories over Florida State (68-54), Western Illinois (70-37) and Oklahoma State (60-56, OT). Redshirt junior guard C.J. Kelly led the Knights in scoring for the second outing in a row, helping UCF overcome a 17-point deficit, with a season-high 18 points against Oklahoma State. Freshman forward Taylor Hendricks was next in line with 16 points and 12 boards for his second double-double on the year in a game that marked the Knights’ first outside of the United States since the 2011-12 season.
“Our guys really had to find a way to dig deep to find a way to win,” head coach Johnny Dawkins said after Friday’s win, via UCF athletics. “I'm just proud of our guy's effort. I thought they played hard. It took us a while to adjust to their len gth and athleticism. As the game wore on, I feel like we got a little more comfortable and we got back to playing UCF basketball. What a good win for our program.”
Dawkins has six seasons under his belt with the Knights, managing to propel UCF into its first at-large bid and win in the NCAA tournament during the 2018-19 campaign. Under his command, the Knights finished the 2021-22 season at 18-12 overall and 9-9 in the American.
A Bahamas birthday! ?? Enjoy it, P.J.! pic.twitter.com/q1904yq6Pz
— UCF Men's Hoops (@UCF_MBB) November 19, 2022