Birmingham, AL (Sports Network) - Isaiah Sykes recorded a double-double with
21 points and 11 rebounds to guide the UCF Knights to a 74-70 win over the UAB
Blazers in Conference-USA action at Bartow Arena on Wednesday evening.
Sykes also dished out five assists for the Knights (20-10, 9-6 C-USA), who
have won three of their last four outings. Calvin Newell added 18 points and
four steals, while Kasey Wilson just missed his own double-double with 15
points and nine rebounds.
The Blazers (15-15, 7-8) saw a four-game win streak come to a close despite a
double-double performance from Rod Rucker, who finished with 16 points and 13
rebounds. Fahro Alihodzic had 15 points off the bench, while Jordan Swing
managed 10 points and seven rebounds, but went 0-of-6 from long-range.
UAB carried a 36-35 lead into intermission despite shooting below 40.0 percent
from the field, thanks in large part to a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw
line.
In the second half, the Knights knocked down 7-of-11 shots from beyond the arc
and held the Blazers below 40.0 percent from the floor again. UCF led by as
many as 13 points with 10 minutes to go and despite a late effort from the
Blazers, UCF was able to hold on for the win, outscoring UAB 39-34 over the
final 20 minutes.
The Blazers shot just 38.5 percent from the field and went 6-of-22 from long-
range, while UCF shot nearly 45.0 percent from the floor and hit on 13-of-28
attempts from 3-point range.
GAME NOTES:
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