/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62356944/MBB_vs_Rider_39.0.jpg)
UCF Football may have had the spotlight but UCF Men’s Basketball had themselves a big weekend as well. After a crushing 80-79 upset against FAU in the second game of the season, the Knights went on to win all 3 of their games in the Myrtle Beach Invitational. This is the first season B.J. Taylor, Aubrey Dawkins and Tacko Fall have been on the court together and it looks like they’re finally starting to click.
CONGRATULATIONS TO @UCF_MBB FOR TAKING HOME THE CHAMPIONSHIP #Power6#ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/rmMph7hzOk
— Myrtle Beach Invitational (@MyrtleInvite) November 19, 2018
The Results
Game 1: UCF 68, CSU Fullerton 52
Game 2: UCF 77, Saint Joseph’s 57
Game 3: UCF 78, Western Kentucky 62
Waking up CHAMPIONS! ⚔️
— UCF Men's Basketball (@UCF_MBB) November 19, 2018
We've got all the @GreatClips from last night's @MyrtleInvite Title Game win over WKU pic.twitter.com/cf5OQtk5Vh
CSU Fullerton and Western Kentucky are both coming off of NIT berths last season while Saint Joseph’s as well as Western Kentucky are predicted to reach the NCAA Tournament this season. As you can see, there was no lack of talent in this tournament that also featured West Virginia, Monmouth, Valparaiso and Wake Forest.
The Numbers
UCF outscored their opponents by 52 points over the span of 3 games. The biggest pain point from last season was offensive production so it’s great to see such improvement.
Aubrey Dawkins, who won the tournament MVP award, combined for 47 points. It definitely seems as if he’s finally getting comfortable in his role for the Knights.
Not only did Tacko Fall have 25 rebounds and 9 blocked shots (which is expected when you’re 7’6”), but he also had 37 points. He’s grown so much over his career and it looks like he’s finally starting to put it all together.
Next Up
6-0 Northern Kentucky comes to town on Friday as they’ll square up with the red hot Knights.
We got the win over Coastal Carolina 89-83 to go 3-0 at the @KEMIworkerscomp Northern Kentucky Basketball Classic on Sunday! The final score is presented by @BraxtonBrewCo #NorseUp #TakeNotice pic.twitter.com/dqib3Q3qkz
— NKU Basketball (@NKUNorseMBB) November 19, 2018