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Florida State 74, UCF 86 / Season Statistics
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Seminoles.com.com) No. 15 Florida State (4-1) lost their first game of the season, 86-74, as UCF (2-1) upset the Seminoles at the Donald L. Tucker Center. The Seminoles had not lost a game at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center since January 2018.
Senior M.J. Walker led the Seminoles with 22 points and three rebounds. Redshirt junior RaiQuan Gray scored his career-high of 14 points while fellow redshirt junior Anthony Polite also scored 14 points to tie his career-high. Polite led the Seminoles with six rebounds.
UCF was led by Brandon Mahan who scored a game-high 32 points to go along with six rebounds. Isaiah Adams scored 22 and Darin Green, Jr., totaled 20 for the visiting Knights.
UCF outscored the Seminoles, 52-35, in the second half to gain the win. The Knights shot 57.1 percent from the field (16 of 28), 60.0 percent from the 3-point line (six of 10) and 93.3 percent from the line (14 of 15) as they led by 13 late in the second half.
The Seminoles held a 39-34 halftime lead but allowed the Knights to take their first lead of the second half at the 14:17 mark on a 3-point field goal by Green. Green’s 3-pointer gave the Knights a 47-46 lead. UCF did not trail after that point as they opened the second half on a 13-7 run.
From there, the Knights extended their lead as they continuously frustrated the Seminoles on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. Florida State shot the ball well from the field (47.1 percent) and made a season-high 10 3-point shots but could not contain UCF’s offense which outscored the Seminoles by 17 after halftime.
The Knights benefited from multiple scoring runs, holding Florida State scoreless over stretches from which they could not recover.
Adams played a huge role in the Knights’ victory, totaling 22 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. He led the Knights in rebounds and was second in scoring. Adams, Mahan, and sophomore Darin Green Jr. scored 74 of the Knights’ 86 points.
Sophomore Balsa Koprivicia scored six points and freshman Scottie Barnes totaled eight points and three assists.
Walker was the leading scorer for the Seminole tonight with 22 points, three rebounds, and two assists. In all five games of the season, Walker has scored in double figures, as he continues to lead the team in scoring. The senior totaled four three-point shots on the night, increasing his career three-point field goals made to 141.
Florida State looks to get back on track as they play host Gardner-Webb on Monday, December 21st at 7 p.m. This marks their final home game in their sixth consecutive home game. The game will be aired on ACC Network.
