1. 16-1 home record is a UCF D-I record (if my brief look at my brains - Doug Richards’ media guide - is complete), and should not be underestimated. It’s a phenomenal achievement!
2. We open the game with three straight 3’s. The fatalist in me says “here comes UTEP all over again…” We hit 7 (SEVEN!!) MORE in the first half, and take a 20-point lead into halftime.
3. First downside of a really good win - one bench point, and that one with 52 seconds left in the game.
4. Great Senior Night game for AJ. Double figures, three 3’s, ten assists, one TO, one block (?!), a two steals. Those two steals places him 2nd all time behind (I think) Marius Boyd. What a way to end a home career!
5. Comeback game for Keith after Memphis. Leading scorer in the first half, and finishes with 22.
6. Good finale game for PJ. Solid performance, and if AJ’s alley-oop pass had been 6-inches shorter his home career would have ended with a thunder clap!
7. Second downside of a really good win - up 14 with 8 minutes to go, and we take the air out of the ball. So of course the game gets close…
8. Answer game for Marcus. Hits four 3’s, and has an all around solid game.
9. Ring, ring. “Benson!” “Yes, Keith.” “This Patch thing isn’t selling basketball tickets worth a damn! What’s Plan B?!” “Well Keith, maybe we can canvass every single underage dance studio in Central Florida and ask them to perform at halftime. Their families will be ticket suckers!” “Brilliant, Benson! Make it happen!!”
10. And when our offense became stagnant early in the 2nd half, Isaiah took over. He hit our only 3 of the 2nd half, and made inside shots that nobody really knows how he made them. He had two straight BS charging calls, the 2nd of which resulted in an ice pack to his left/shooting wrist. He has huge hands…
11. Senior Night - just where do those four years go…
12. Thank you Jeff Jordan! Your efforts in practice for two seasons made AJ a much better player, and we wouldn’t have won those Battle for Atlantis games without you at the point. Best of luck!
13. Thanks, Dwight! You brought us the best post-player presence and depth (along with Keith, AJ, PJ Josh and The Zog) we’ve ever had! We could sure use you right now, but your practice contributions when you could’ve walked away have been invaluable!
14. Thank you, too PJ! A consummate team player who understood and accepted your role on the team. Your interactions with our younger fans made us all proud. And congratulations for graduating on time!!
15. And then there’s AJ. I believe it was game one of your career when CK turned to me and said, “We’re going to love him, and our opponents are going to hate him!” And you relished that role! You improved every year, became the clear floor leader of this team, and won some of the most dramatic games our school has ever played. You embraced our alma mater and its fans, and are leaving this program better off with your participation. Thank you for 4 great years!!
16. PSA - don’t throw those parking passes away just yet…
2. We open the game with three straight 3’s. The fatalist in me says “here comes UTEP all over again…” We hit 7 (SEVEN!!) MORE in the first half, and take a 20-point lead into halftime.
3. First downside of a really good win - one bench point, and that one with 52 seconds left in the game.
4. Great Senior Night game for AJ. Double figures, three 3’s, ten assists, one TO, one block (?!), a two steals. Those two steals places him 2nd all time behind (I think) Marius Boyd. What a way to end a home career!
5. Comeback game for Keith after Memphis. Leading scorer in the first half, and finishes with 22.
6. Good finale game for PJ. Solid performance, and if AJ’s alley-oop pass had been 6-inches shorter his home career would have ended with a thunder clap!
7. Second downside of a really good win - up 14 with 8 minutes to go, and we take the air out of the ball. So of course the game gets close…
8. Answer game for Marcus. Hits four 3’s, and has an all around solid game.
9. Ring, ring. “Benson!” “Yes, Keith.” “This Patch thing isn’t selling basketball tickets worth a damn! What’s Plan B?!” “Well Keith, maybe we can canvass every single underage dance studio in Central Florida and ask them to perform at halftime. Their families will be ticket suckers!” “Brilliant, Benson! Make it happen!!”
10. And when our offense became stagnant early in the 2nd half, Isaiah took over. He hit our only 3 of the 2nd half, and made inside shots that nobody really knows how he made them. He had two straight BS charging calls, the 2nd of which resulted in an ice pack to his left/shooting wrist. He has huge hands…
11. Senior Night - just where do those four years go…
12. Thank you Jeff Jordan! Your efforts in practice for two seasons made AJ a much better player, and we wouldn’t have won those Battle for Atlantis games without you at the point. Best of luck!
13. Thanks, Dwight! You brought us the best post-player presence and depth (along with Keith, AJ, PJ Josh and The Zog) we’ve ever had! We could sure use you right now, but your practice contributions when you could’ve walked away have been invaluable!
14. Thank you, too PJ! A consummate team player who understood and accepted your role on the team. Your interactions with our younger fans made us all proud. And congratulations for graduating on time!!
15. And then there’s AJ. I believe it was game one of your career when CK turned to me and said, “We’re going to love him, and our opponents are going to hate him!” And you relished that role! You improved every year, became the clear floor leader of this team, and won some of the most dramatic games our school has ever played. You embraced our alma mater and its fans, and are leaving this program better off with your participation. Thank you for 4 great years!!
16. PSA - don’t throw those parking passes away just yet…
