UCF MBB Falls 85-81 Against Shorthanded LSU

UCF men's basketball kicked off it's exhibition slate on Wednesday night, falling just short of a victory against LSU.

The Knights were within striking distance for the whole game, leading at the halftime break.

But, a late inbounding blunder and missed free throw led to the Tigers escaping with an 85-81 victory.

Nevertheless, head coach Johnny Dawkins definitely got a good, early look at what he is working with this upcoming season.

Dior Johnson and Lewis Walker were Dawkins' two top scorers, with Johnson looking like the guy who was among the nation's leaders in points per game last season.

Johnson scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half, getting into a rhythm and turning it on when it counted.

The former UCF Knight spent one season away from the program before announcing his return in April.

During his first stint in Orlando, Johnson averaged just 8.5 minutes per game, failing to crack the starting lineup in his 35 appearances.

But, he returns with a huge season under his belt with Tarleton State, where he averaged 24.0 points per game, shooting on stellar 50/47/85 splits.

More impressively, Johnson did so despite coming off the bench, serving as one of the best collegiate bench scorers in recent memory.

Walker, on the other hand, averaged 18.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game for North Carolina A&T last season.

As a true freshman, Walker earned All-CAA Third Team and All-Rookie Team honors, while finishing second in the CAA in free throws made (187) and field goal percentage (50.8).

In Wednesday's loss, Walker scored 13 points on efficient 4-of-7 shooting, while adding five rebounds and a block in less than 15 minutes.

Walker is a strong driver who uses his quick first step and size to get to the rim and draw fouls.

This was the case against the Tigers, with Walker leading the team in free-throw attempts (4) and makes (3).

Jason Asemota is another player who had a strong performance, scoring 13 points and knocking down three 3-pointers.

The 6-foot-8 stretch big played limited minutes at Boston College last season, but adds another element of spacing to Dawkins' frontcourt unit.

With junior big man John Bol projected to once again be the starting big man, having options and depth behind him will be crucial for UCF's success in the ultra-physical Big 12.

UCF's next exhibition game is against Rollins College on Oct. 25.