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University of Central Florida Earns First Ever NCAA March Madness Tournament Win Over VCU, 73-58

By  //  March 23, 2019

TACKO FALLL RECORDS DOUBLE-DOUBLE IN WIN, Knights will face No.1 overall seed Duke Blue Devils SundAY

ABOVE VIDEO: UCF moves on to round two of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament after defeating VCU for their first ever NCAA tournament victory, 73-58. 

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA –  The University of Central Florida Knights spent the past two football seasons playing Cinderella as a college football playoff hopeful, now the Knights resurrected basketball program has a chance to do the same in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament after they defeated VCU for their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory on Friday night, 73-58. 

Led by NBA hopeful Tacko Fall, the Knights 7-foot, the 6-inch center recorded his 25th career double-double in the win as he registered 13 points, 18 rebounds, and five blocks.

UCF started slow, very slow, as the Knights went nearly the first six minutes of the game without scoring a point. But thanks to Fall and guard Aubrey Dawkins, UCF found their rhythm and went on a 13-0 run, hitting 10 of 11 shots at one point and led 34-24 at halftime.

The Knights outscored VCU 9-0 to start the second half and after B.J. Taylor sunk a pair of free throws with 9:49 to play, led the Rams by 20.

UCF shot 64 percent (9-14) from 3-point land vs VCU on Friday night which was a pleasant surprise considering the Knights hit just 36.1 percent of their shots from beyond the arc during the regular season,

To VCU’s credit, they didn’t quit and closed the score to 62-55 with just under five minutes to play but a 7-0 run to make it 70-56, closed out the Rams and allowed UCF to think ahead to a huge matchup on Sunday.

ABOVE VIDEO: UCF Knights post-game press conference after defeating VCU for the programs first-ever NCAA Tourney win. 

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UCF will face off against the Tournament’s No.1 overall seed, the Duke Blue Devils in the Round of 32.

The game possesses a bigger storyline in that it features Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski facing his former player, Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins.

Dawkins is considered Coach K’s first big-time recruit at Duke and was his first ever Naismith Trophy winner in 1986.

The Blue Devils moved into round two of the NCAA tournament by defeating North Dakota State 85-62. Freshman sensation and the likely first overall pick in this years NBA Draft, Zion Williamson, scored 25 points and totaled 14 rebounds.

Williamson, R.J. Barrett and the rest of the Duke Blue Devils will be a tough matchup for the UCF Knights as they look to move into the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.

Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and the rest of the Duke Blue Devils will be a tough matchup for the UCF Knights as they look to move onto the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.

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