In a dominating performance, UCF defeated Florida A&M 97-60 on Tuesday night, led by Carmelo Pacheco’s 17 points and Riley Kugel’s 16 points. UCF never trailed in the game and maintained a strong lead throughout.
Kugel was on fire, shooting 6-of-10 and going 3 for 3 from behind the arc. George Beale Jr. also contributed 10 points for UCF, while Themus Fulks had an impressive all-around game with six points, six rebounds, and six assists.
From the start, UCF took control with a 17-1 run, with six different players contributing to the scoring. Jamichael Stillwell and Kugel both hit back-to-back 3-pointers, while Florida A&M struggled to find their rhythm and missed nine consecutive field-goal attempts.
Despite losing all of their scoring from last season, UCF showed their strength by shooting 55% from the field and an impressive 65% from 3-point range. The Knights also dominated on the boards, outrebounding FAMU 48-24 and scoring 17 second-chance points compared to FAMU’s 2.
On the other side, Anthony Knowles led FAMU with 12 points, all from 3-pointers. However, it was not enough to overcome UCF’s strong performance.
For first-year coach Charlie Ward, who is well-known for his college football and NBA career, this loss means he is still in search of his first win as FAMU’s coach. With this loss, FAMU falls to 0-3 for the season.
Looking ahead, UCF will face their next challenge on Thursday as they take on Auburn, while FAMU will look to bounce back against Jacksonville on Saturday. As the season continues, both teams will have opportunities to grow and improve, and we can expect more exciting matchups from these Florida teams.
THE CONVERSATION.