Knights get first road win, pound East Carolina 81-63

Last season East Carolina swept the UCF Knights, beating them three times, including a season-ending loss in the Conference USA Tournament.

Saturday, UCF (12-3, 2-0) got some revenge, soundly defeating the Pirates (9-6, 0-2), 81-63, on the road. It was the Knights' first road win of the season and the team's fourth consecutive victory.

Four UCF players finished in double figures, with sophomore guard Isaiah Sykes leading the way with 20 points on the night. Senior guard A.J. Rompza and junior forward Keith Clanton each had 16 points, and junior guard Marcus Jordan finished with 12.

A 19-4 run to start the second half created all the distance UCF would need as the Knights consistently held off runs by the Pirates.

"I thought we played with much more poise [today]," associate head coach Shawn Finney said in a radio interview afterwards on the UCF IMG Network. "Our guys stayed focused and poised and got [the lead] back up to where we wanted it. … We were just really in the flow at that point [during the 19-4 run]."

UCF won not only their second conference game to start league play, but also the second win with Finney roaming the sidelines. Finney is coaching in place of head coach Donnie Jones, who now has one game left in a university-mandated three-game suspension.

Sykes, who has stood out as the Knights' most-improved player from a season ago, led the way against the Pirates and it wasn't just with his scoring. The guard from Detroit also had 10 rebounds, giving him a double-double and another impressive performance.

"[Sykes] was phenomenal tonight," Finney said. "He put himself in position to drive and get in those lanes. … When he's playing well he creates a whole [new] problem for the other team."

Many of those points for Sykes came as a result of the offensive rebounds he pulled in, and that mentality of grabbing offensive boards is something Sykes says is very valuable for the team.

"I think our team does a good job in practice of going for offensive rebounds," Sykes said. "It's really paying off in the games."

Sykes may have finished leading the team in scoring against East Carolina, but the first half was clearly Rompza's show.

In only his third game back after being suspended to start the season, the senior point guard from Chicago couldn't miss in the first half. Rompza had 14 points before the break, including three 3-point baskets that helped fuel runs for the Knights.

By the game's end, Rompza's stat line wasn't too short of a triple-double, with 16 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

"[Rompza] did a great job making the extra pass tonight," Finney said. "He's just bringing so much to our team right now."

Clanton didn't score the most points on Saturday, but he definitely had a shot to remember. A 3-pointer early in the second half gave the junior from Orlando his 1,000-career points as a Knight. Clanton also pulled down six rebounds.

While Jordan's 12 points may have been below his season average of 17.6, the junior guard's value as a threat to other teams was on display once again on the road, as East Carolina's defense visibly keyed on him.

"Marcus, even though he didn't have a big game, he draws so much attention it allows other guys to have opportunities," Finney said.

Despite a double-digit loss, East Carolina did make several runs at the UCF lead and most were anchored by guard Miguel Paul's 21-point effort, good enough to lead all scorers.

The Knights took 10 games in conference play last year to reach their second C-USA win, but will now be aiming for their third in the first three games on Wednesday when they return home to take on the Houston Cougars. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the UCF Arena, and it will be the sole matchup between the two schools this season.