UCF dominates Tulane, gets much-needed win

Tulane turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.

After dropping their first four games in the American, UCF faced a crossroads in New Orleans. Would their slide continue? Or would they show some fight and gut out a road win?

As it turns out, UCF produced what was arguably their most impressive performance of the season. The Knights led from start to finish, dominating the Green Wave on their way to a 74-55 victory.

The score makes it seem closer than it really was. UCF led 35-17 at halftime with their biggest margin being a 32-point lead.

There were plenty of positives to note:

-Dazon Ingram, who was taken out of the starting lineup vs. Cincinnati but returned to the starting five tonight, played his best game in a UCF uniform. The senior guard notched a double-double, scoring 15 points and a career-high 16 rebounds to go along with seven assists. Much of his scoring came from driving to the bucket and getting fouled, then sinking 11 of his 13 free throw attempts.

-Matt Milon also returned to the form that he displayed in last week's road game at SMU. He helped set the tone early, draining a three-pointer on UCF's first possession, finishing 4-of-8 from long range with 12 points.

-Darin Green Jr. came off the bench to show his shooter's touch, draining 4-of-7 from beyond the arc for 12 points.

-Brandon Mahan was active as usual, working his way to 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting.

-UCF shot a season-best 12-of-26 (46.2%) from three-point range with six players making long-range shots: Milon, Mahan, Green, Avery Diggs, Frank Bertz and Tony Johnson Jr.

-The 16-of-19 made free throw shots was also a season best mark.

-On the defensive end, UCF limited Tulane to 36.2 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from long range. In the first half, they shot a dismal 20 percent. The Green Wave entered the game as the AAC leader in three-point percentage (.372).

-Tulane's Teshaun Hightower, who had been leading their team with 17.3 points per game, was limited to just two points scored.

Here's a few quotes from UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins during his postgame interview with Marc Daniels.

On the game:

"I was really proud of them. From start to finish, I thought they played well. They were really focused. For the most part, we didn't have any let-ups. That was something we were searching for."

On having a feeling the team was in for a big night:

"I thought in shootaround that there was a focus. I thought they were ready. I watched when they were warming up in shootaround and was hoping they'd come out and play like they were practicing and they did."

On Dazon Ingram:

"He came in focused. He's had a couple tough games recently. He showed why he's an upperclassman. I think he bounced back. He knew it was time to step up and he did. He actually said in the practice prior to the game, he talked about wanting to turn that page and move forward playing at a level he knows he's capable of and he did."

On Matt Milon and Darin Green's contributions:

"Definitely happy for those guys to see the ball go in. Matt's been shooting it well the last several games for us. It's good to see him to trend in the direction we know he's going to be in. Darin, to see him kind of get back, it was good to see. That will go a long way for their confidence."

On the biggest takeaway from the win:

"I want them to know they can win. It's one thing to be close in games, but until you overcome and get a win, you always are uncertain. Now that we were able to get one under our belt, I think it will go a long way for our guys to know how we have to play to be successful in the American. There's a certain way you've got to play. I think our guys understood that in this game. The things we did on both sides of the court complemented each other well."