UCF storms court after upset of no. 13 Texas A&M following three-straight missed chances to tie
It didn’t take long for the first upset of the season as unranked UCF defeated No. 13 Texas A&M 64-61 in Orlando on Monday night. The win is good for the Knights’ 11th win over a ranked opponent in program history.
The Aggies needed a 3-pointer to tie the game on their final possession. They had three opportunities to tie the game but were unable to cash in on those opportunities. It didn’t take long for the Knights’ faithful to storm to court after the buzzer sounded.
Texas A&M’s Hayden Hefner, Wade Taylor and CJ Wiltjer all missed on their opportunities to send the game to overtime, and puts the Aggies record at 0-1 to begin the season.
For UCF, it was the play of Memphis transfer JJ Taylor, who totaled 21 minutes during the contest after playing just six minutes for the Tigers all last season. His impact was eventually what seperated the Knights in the final two minutes, deflecting a pass, grabbing a board, throwing down a put-back dunk before sealing the deal at the free throw line. He finished the game with 10 points off the bench.
“He was huge for us down the stretch, but his activity, with his length — he made plays,” Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins said on the court postgame amid the sea of UCF fans. “And we believe in JJ. We think JJ has a chance to be a terrific, terrific player. I think you saw a glimpse of what he can do tonight, and I’m just excited about who he can become.”
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Taylor is a former four-star recruit and chose Memphis over Kentucky out of the 2023 recruiting class but ultimately landed with the Knights out of the transfer portal this offseason. He’ll look to be a major factor in UCF’s efforts during the 2024-25 season.
However, it was the play of senior Darius Johnson who scored 24 points and logged five assists en route to the upset victory.
UCF will look to carry this momentum into Friday’s matchup against Purdue FW. Meanwhile, the Aggies will look to rebound in its home opener against Texas A&M-Comm.