Jaylin Sellers scored 15 points and UCF put together a masterclass defensive performance to beat Cal State Fullerton 72-44 on Thursday night in Orlando, Fla.
Sellers made 7 of 12 shots and was the only player to score in double figures for the Knights (2-1), who let the Titans convert just 12 of 51 field-goal attempts (23.5 percent).
Cal State Fullerton (1-2) also went just 3-for-19 (15.8 percent) from 3-point range and committed 15 turnovers as it struggled to solve a stout UCF defense.
Central Florida relied on an extremely balanced effort, as 10 Knights scored. The UCF bench outscored the Titans’ reserves 41-7.
Grayson Carper finished with 13 points for Cal State Fullerton, while Vincent Lee chipped in 10.
The Titans scored eight of the first nine points of the second half to whittle a 13-point deficit down to six at 32-26 with 17:26 remaining in the game.
UCF responded quickly, as the Knights rattled off 14 unanswered points, opening up a 46-26 lead when Ibrahima Diallo threw down a dunk off a feed from Shemarri Allen with 13:26 left.
Carper made three free throws to cut the deficit to 14 at the 8:40 mark, but UCF responded once more, this time with a 12-1 run, before cruising to the finish.
Cal State Fullerton took advantage of a cold start from the Knights to jump out to a 7-2 lead 3:17 into the game.
But UCF then picked it up on both ends of the floor, getting five points from Allen during a 10-0 run while holding the Titans scoreless for over eight minutes to move in front 12-7.
Max Jones later made two free throws to pull Cal State Fullerton within two with 7:40 to go, but 3 1/2 minutes later, Marchelus Avery dunked to ignite an 11-0 surge.
Sellers had three layups during that outburst, and Avery capped the half with a layup of his own to send the Knights into the break with a 31-18 lead.
Sellers led all first-half scorers with 10 points.
–Field Level Media
