fbpx
Skip to main content

Johnny Dawkins gets 300th win as UCF topples No. 23 Oklahoma

Jan 31, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins reacts to a call during the first half against the Baylor Bears at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Jaylin Sellers scored 20 points to lead UCF to a 74-63 win over No. 23 Oklahoma on Saturday in Orlando, Florida.

It marked the 300th career Division I victory for head coach Johnny Dawkins, and the Knights (13-8, 4-5 Big 12) snapped a two-game losing streak.

The Sooners (16-6, 4-5) have dropped three of their last four.

The Knights jumped ahead quickly, scoring the game’s first seven points and jumping out to an 11-point lead just five minutes into the game thanks to a barrage of 3-pointers from Antwann Jones.

Jones hadn’t hit more than two 3-pointers in any of his previous 84 collegiate games at Memphis, Creighton, Louisiana or UCF and came into the game shooting 33.7 percent from beyond the arc in his career.

But as the Knights built a quick 15-4 lead, Jones hit a trio of 3-pointers.

Oklahoma didn’t score until nearly 3:30 into the game and didn’t hit a field goal until nearly four minutes had passed.

The Sooners trimmed the lead to two with a 17-8 run before UCF took a 34-27 lead into the break.

Oklahoma quickly cut the Knights’ lead to four in the opening minute of the second half, but by five minutes into the second half, the UCF lead was in double digits, where it remained the rest of the way.

While Jones was hitting from the outside early, in the second half he started attacking the rim more, including a dunk with just less than four minutes remaining to put UCF up 17 and all but put the game away.

Jones finished with 15 points, going 6 of 7 from the field. Darius Johnson added 14 points and eight assists. Omar Payne had a season-high four blocks among nine for the Knights.

One positive sign for the Sooners came at the free-throw line.

Oklahoma had missed a combined 24 free throws in their last two games, shooting just 61.9 percent from the stripe. But Saturday, the Sooners were 18 of 22.

Le’Tre Darthard led Oklahoma with 14 points, while Rivaldo Soares scored 11 and Jalon Moore added 10 points and 11 rebounds.

The Sooners shot a season-low 37 percent from the field.

–Field Level Media

Mentioned in this article:

More About: