A 14-2 run early by Miami in the second half proved to be too much for the UCF Knights, as they lost their first game of the season to the Miami Hurricanes 79-70. 

“I give Miami a lot of credit; I thought they played well,” UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said. “I thought their guard play was really solid, a couple of veteran guards with [Chris] Lykes and DJ [Vasiljevic]. I thought those guys really led them as two older guards and I though the rest of the guys played off them.” 

After UCF took a 39-38 lead on a Matt Milon lay-up, the Hurricanes went on a 14-2 run to take a 52-41 lead with 12:45 left in the game. 

UCF would only be able to get within six points the rest of the evening. 

With 6:11 left on the clock, Collin Smith fouled out of the game. In the aftermath of that play, Dazon Ingram obtained a flagrant two foul and consequently was ejected from the game. 

“It definitely disrupted us,” Dawkins said of Smith getting in foul trouble and then fouling out in the second half. “I feel that Collin is one of the best bigs in the country and when he got in foul trouble like he did early and you have to sit him for 10, 12, 13 straight minutes, that’s difficult for any player. I thought he did a great job of responding in the second half but by then we were fighting an uphill battle.”

Kameron McGusty led the Hurricanes with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Dejan Vasiljevic had 16 points and Harlond Beverly had 15 points off of the bench. 

Frank Bertz and Darin Green Jr. each had 13 points for UCF. 

UCF had 17 turnovers as opposed to Miami having just nine. The Hurricanes converted those 17 turnovers into 21 points.

“The turnovers were a result of “trying to do too much with the basketball,” Dawkins said. “Most…. of the time they were unforced turnovers. They were nothing that where they were pressing and trapping and doing things like that. So, just too many unforced turnovers which means we have to value the ball a little more, keep it more simple when we’re on the floor and that would help in that area.”

The Knights will be back in action on November 17 when they go on the road to face Illinois State at 2 p.m.