Austin, TX – The University of Texas took on Big 12 newcomers, the UCF Knights, Wednesday night at home. Texas looked as though they were on their way to a solid win with as much as a 15-point lead in the first frame. By halftime, the Longhorns were leading 44-32 thanks to the shooting of both Max Abmas (15 points) and Ithiel Horton (20 points).
The second half opened with two big alley-oop dunks from Dillon Mitchell which seemed to be the nail in the coffin for UCF. Instead, the Knights chipped away at the lead thanks to big time shots from Jaylin Sellers (24 points) and Shemarri Allen (17 points) to help UCF take the lead at with 7:21 remaining. The teams traded leads until the four-minute mark when Abmas hit a 3 to make it 68-67. Unfortunately, UCF took full control and didn’t let the Longhorns score until the game was out of hand and got a 77-71 comeback win.
UCF had five players in double-figures and were led by Sellers, off the bench with his 24 points and five rebounds. Sellers’ shooting provided a major spark. His three-point shooting as well as his mid-range game were crucial to keep the Longhorns from extending their lead. Sellers also hit all eight of his free throw attempts with four in the final minute to keep the lead. Sellers is a creative scorer and shooter, but has been inefficient as of late. The move to the bench allowed him to focus his energy on scoring instead of playmaking and it provided a huge boost to the Knights offense. For the Knights and Sellers sake, hopefully it is a permanent move.
Shemarri Allen had a complete game with 17 points (season high), seven assists, four rebounds and four steals. Especially in the second half, Shemarri seemed to have complete control of this game. Whether that was to hit a clutch shot, or make the right passing read, Allen seemed to always make the right decision. Allen also held his own with taking on the defensive assignment of guarding Abmas. With Sellers coming off the bench it put the ball more in Allen’s hands which led to a lot of good decisions. Hopefully this is a trend that continues.
While not contributing much on the offensive end. Ibrahima Diallo tonight protected the rim like his life depended on it. Diallo ended the night with three blocks (two in the second half) and deterred many shots to make the Longhorns’ lives difficult in the paint. Diallo had a clutch block in the final minute that solidified the win for the Knights. UCF will continue to be dominant in the paint as long as Diallo is there.
For the Longhorns, Horton was the leading scorer tonight with 20 points. This was a kind of homecoming game for him because he transferred from UCF this past season. Ithiel had his best game shooting 8-of-14 from the field and hit 40% of his three pointers. However, it was not enough to beat his former team. The move to the starting lineup does seem to open up the floor for others to operate in the paint. Abmas wasn’t as efficient as he usually is. He finished with 15 points but shot only 5-of-13 (38% FG) and 4-of-11 (36% 3FG). 36% on three isn’t terrible, but both Horton and Abmas couldn’t hit shots when it mattered most in the final four minutes.
Mitchell continues to provide efficient play within the Longhorn offense. Mitchell finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and two steals. Mitchell shot 6-of-9 from the field, mostly due to off ball cuts and drives to the rim. Mitchell is still struggling on his shot but did hit an impressive turnaround midrange in the second half that is encouraging. Though the Longhorns lost, Mitchell continues to provide great minutes.
Overall the UCF Knights have earned some huge wins in the Big 12 conference proving that they belong. The Knights will look to build on this win against #5-ranked on January 20th. Meanwhile Texas has been on a bit of a tail spin and will look to stop the slide against the #9-ranked Baylor Bears, also on the 20th.
This article was written by Matthew Lawyer, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.
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