UCF’s season ends with conference tournament loss to ECU

Kasey Wilson took the shot with UCF down 81-80 in overtime and time expiring but it went off the rim and out ending the Knights season with the opening round loss in the American Athletic Conference tournament on Thursday.

UCF freshman B.J. Taylor led all scorers with 22 points while fellow first-year guard Adonys Henriquez added 17 points himself and went 4-6 from behind the three-point line.

The Knights trailed by as many as 17 in the game but were able to come back and send the game into overtime after the Pirates missed a potential game-winning shot as time expired in the second quarter.

Justin McBride scored the first basket of overtime and gave UCF a 78-76 lead over ECU, but the Pirates would finish the game on a 5-2 run and advance to face SMU in the second round of the AAC tournament.

Wilson finished the game with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists in his final game in a UCF Knights uniform.

The Knights should should improve on their 12-18 record next season as Taylor and Henriquez will have a full year of Division I basketball under their belt and head coach Donnie Jones has brought in a recruiting class that includes 7-foot-6 Tako Fall.