 If Central Florida is indeed headed to the Big East, they just showed they can play with the big boys.
UCF scored the biggest win in program history Friday when Marcus Jordan and Keith Clanton each scored 20 points to key a 68-63 win over No. 4 UConn in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
“It ‘s a huge win for our school,” UCF coach Donnie Jones said, according to the Orlando Sentinel. “…Right now, I’m really happy for that as well as our kids.”
Trailing by 50-33 early in the second half, the Knights rallied behind Jordan. UCF (4-1) went on a 29-7 run over the next 13 minutes. Jordan tied the game at 57 with 3:11 left when his free throw bounced around the rim and then went in. He hit the second one to give the Knights their first lead.
Isaiah Sykes then hit consecutive layups to extend the advantage to 62-57.
Andre Drummond answered with a layup on the other end with 1:03 left, but UCF hit all six of its free throws in the final 63 seconds to seal the victory.
Jordan also had seven rebounds and seven assists.
Jeremy Lamb scored 15 points to lead Connecticut (5-1) while Alex Oriakhi added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Knights snapped the UConn’s 16-game winning streak, the longest active winning streak in the nation.
UCF will face Harvard — which stunned No. 20 Florida State, 46-41 — in Saturday’s championship.
(The AP contributed)
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