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Tag: knights

  • No. 1 Arizona continues undefeated start, holds on against UCF

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    (Photo credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images)

    Corrects typo in headline; clarifies highest-ranked opponent for UCF win in graf 6; adds graf 8 clarifying the undefeated teams to lose this week

    Jaden Bradley scored 23 points and sank five free throws in the final 29 seconds, and top-ranked Arizona avoided the recent trend of undefeated teams getting upset with an 84-77 victory over UCF on Saturday afternoon in Orlando, Fla.

    Bradley made 11 of 13 from the line and added six rebounds, five assists and two steals for the Wildcats (18-0, 5-0 Big 12).

    Brayden Burries notched 18 points and Motiejus Krivas posted a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Ivan Kharchenkov had 10 points while Tobe Awaka totaled 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench before fouling out.

    Leading scorer Koa Peat played with foul trouble, was held scoreless in the first half and finished with a career-low four points in 20 minutes.

    The victory continued the second-best start by Arizona in program history since it opened the 2013-14 campaign with a 21-0 record.

    Point guard Themus Fulks had a career-high 30 points but fouled out for the Knights (14-3, 3-2), who were attempting to beat a No. 1-ranked team for the first time in history. The highest-ranked team UCF has beaten was No. 3 Kansas two years ago.

    Jordan Burks netted 16 points, and Riley Kugel put in 12.

    Second-ranked Iowa State suffered its first loss of the season on Tuesday, falling at Kansas. The next day, No. 10 Vanderbilt took its first loss, falling at Texas. Both teams also lost on Saturday.

    In the matchup’s first four minutes, UCF led after John Bol’s slam and Kugel’s three-pointer, but Burries, Awaka and Krivas combined for 20 points in the first 10:07 as the Wildcats began to assert themselves and led 26-11 after a 19-2 run.

    At the 4:02 mark, Fulks canned a 15-footer to bring it to 35-31, and his deep ball inside the final minute brought UCF to within two. But Awaka’s free throw in the final seconds left the visitors with a 41-38 halftime lead.

    Krivas (15 points), Burries (11) and Awaka (nine) accounted for 35 of Arizona’s 41 points in the half, while Fulks carried UCF by tallying 18 points.

    With Peat still not on the scoresheet, Arizona led 49-45 five minutes into the second half as Kharchenkov and Bradley helped out the offense by netting four points apiece.

    The visitors grew the lead to 59-49 on Dwayne Aristode’s layup at 10:50 and led comfortably the next 10 minutes.

    UCF trimmed it to 79-73 in the final minute, but Bradley made 5 of 6 from the stripe to prevent the Knights from achieving an historic victory.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Scott Frost, UCF turn to backup QB vs. scuffling North Carolina A&T

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    (Photo credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images)

    Central Florida is easing into Scott Frost’s second tenure as its head coach.

    After a shaky opening victory over Jacksonville State, UCF (1-0) has a date with struggling FCS squad North Carolina A&T (0-1) on Saturday night in Orlando, Fla.

    There is uncertainty at quarterback for UCF as opening game starter Cam Fancher, a transfer who started two seasons at Marshall and last year at Florida Atlantic, was injured in the second quarter.

    With Fancher sidelined, Indiana transfer Tayven Jackson completed 17 of 24 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, leading the Knights to a 17-10 victory.

    On a Thursday radio show, Frost confirmed that Fancher will not play Saturday.

    ‘Cam’s going to be out this week,’ Frost said on SiriusXM’s Dusty and Danny in the Morning. ‘He just kind of landed on his back funny and has some back issues that I think are going to go away fairly soon, but we’re going into the game with Tayven and JB (Jacurri Brown), and that’s fine. Tayven did a great job coming in and replacing him last week and he’s getting another shot this week.’

    Frost credited Jackson for being prepared in his backup role after showing disappointment when he was told that Fancher would start the opener.

    ‘I saw an uptick in him,’ Frost said. ‘If it takes something to get him angry to get him to play the way he played, then I’m going to keep him angry all the time.’

    After Saturday’s game, Frost will have additional time to evaluate Fancher as the Knights have a bye week before hosting Bill Belichick and North Carolina and then embarking on their Big 12 schedule.

    North Carolina A&T, which has yet to win a conference game in 16 tries since joining the Coastal Athletic Association in 2023, is on an 11-game skid.

    The Aggies had a chance to end the streak last Saturday at Tennessee State but Andrew Brown’s late 38-yard field-goal attempt was blocked, resulting in a 24-21 loss.

    The big positive for the Aggies was the play of quarterback Braxton Thomas, who came off the bench to run for a touchdown and throw for another score. Thomas completed 11 of 13 passes for 169 yards without an interception. Thomas did lose a fumble — one of three fumbles the Aggies lost.

    The blocked kick and turnovers were ‘the recipe for getting your butt kicked,’ head coach Shawn Gibbs said after his North Carolina A&T debut.

    –Field Level Media

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