Dec. 11, 2010

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By Dan Ryan
BCUAthletics.com

ORLANDO - Jordan's kid was Jordan's kid. UCF had another game changer spoil Bethune-Cookman's best road half of basketball as the Knights defeated the Wildcats 76-59 before 5,094 at UCF Arena Saturday.

After a first half where the teams changed the lead ten times, UCF got 14 points and 8 blocked shots from 7-0 center Tom Herzog in 17 second-half minutes as the Knights (8-0) pulled away from a 38-36 halftime lead to beat the Wildcats for the sixth consecutive time.

It wasn't the 14 points as much as the eight blocked shots as Herzog's presence denied any penetration or consistent inside game for the Wildcats, who managed just 32 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes.

"He [Herzog] changed the entire complexion of the game," said B-CU coach Clifford Reed. "He intimidated us. We haven't seen anybody quite that big and you can't simulate that height in practice. He came in the second half and we couldn't get used to him."

Keith Clanton led UCF with 16 while Marcus Jordan, whose dad is, well, you know who he is, finished with 15.

Alexander Starling's season-high 16 points led B-CU, which traded baskets with the Knights during an entertaining stretch of the first half.

 UCF shot 67 percent (12-18) from the field, but B-CU's defense enabled the Wildcats to get 13 more shots. Startling was 4-5 from the field in the opening 20 minutes, and Kevin Dukes and Mikel Trapp delivered some clutch three-pointers.

"That's what we do," Reed said. "We usually manufacture shots attempts so we have a chance to win." C.J. Reed gave B-CU its first lead at 19-18 with 9:09 remaining.

Starling, Albert Abrahams and Dukes each hit shots that helped give the Wildcats the lead, with the final lead coming on Dukes' 3-pointer with 2:02 remaining that made it a 36-35 game.

Clanton, 9-10 from the line, sank two free throws with six seconds remaining to give UCF a 38-36 halftime lead.

CJ Reed finished with 11 points while Garrius Holloman scored 10 points. Abrahams, making his 2010-2011 debut, scored six points and grabbed five rebounds in 16 minutes.

"It's going to be OJT [on-the-job-training] with Albert," Reed said. "He has to get himself in shape and work himself into the rotation so he's effective come conference time."

B-CU hosts Webber International Monday night at Moore Gymnasium. Tipoff is 7 p.m.