Gardner's Big Game Not Enough For ECU To Take Down UCF

Sunday, January 13

Orlando, FL

4 PM

East Carolina University

8-8; 1-3

UCF

13-2; 3-0

ECU

UCF

January 13, 2019 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

From wire and staff reports

ORLANDO, Fla. – Despite a historic performance from freshman Jayden Gardner and an aggressive defensive effort in the second half, ECU remained winless on the road as it fell to preseason American Athletic Conference favorite UCF, 76-65, on Sunday at CFE Arena. The loss was the Pirates' seventh straight in the series in the only scheduled meeting of the season.

Gardner led the Pirates with a career-high 35 points and 20 rebounds, also an ECU freshman record, to collect his seventh double-double of the season. Gardner now has three games with 30-or-more points this season, three away from tying the conference record of six set by Houston's Rob Gray last season.

It was the first 35-point performance by freshman in conference history and only the third 20-rebound game by any classification of player.

Gardner became the first Pirate since 1966 to have more than 30 points and 20 rebounds in the same game.

UCF rushed out to a double-digit lead in the first six minutes, making 7-of-12 to start the game. The Knights built an 18-point advantage with 4:31 left in the first half, but ECU closed the half on a 7-1 run and trailed by 12 at halftime, 38-26.

The Knights opened the second half on a 12-3 run and led by 21 points less than four minutes into the second half. UCF held a double-digit lead for the next 10, but the Pirates slowly chipped away and when Shawn Williams converted a 3-point play at the free throw line, ECU was down just eight with 6:20 remaining.

A 3-point play by Gardner got the Pirates within six with 3:22 remaining. However, UCF's Terrell Allen scored six points in a 10-5 game-ending run.

"I do give our guys a lot of credit when it looked like we were in trouble and it looked like they were going to bury us, we fought back and we were down six with the ball" ECU Head Coach Joe Dooley said. "I thought the guys showed some character there. I thought the guys didn't stop playing."

Aubrey Dawkins scored 18 points to lead the Knights. B.J. Taylor added 14 points, Collin Smith 12 and Tacko Fall 10 for UCF, which made just 22 of 41 free throws while ECU was 14 of 24. Allen had four of UCF's 11 steals.

Shawn Williams had 12 for ECU, which made just 5 of 19 3-point attempts and were out-rebounded by seven.

"We didn't do ourselves any favors from the free throw line and the 3-point line," Dooley said.

The Knights entered the game leading the conference in 3-point field goal percentage, but were held to 24.0 percent (6-of-24) outside the arc the Pirates' third-ranked perimeter defense.

The Pirates return home to face Temple Wednesday at 7 p.m. inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.