One Point From a Statement Win: FGCU Falls 96-95 in Overtime at UCF as Dior Johnson Scores 41
Florida Gulf Coast forced overtime at the buzzer, tied the extra period again with two minutes left, and still had a 90-foot heave at the rim at the end. The Eagles' 25th season opened Monday night in Orlando with a 96-95 overtime loss to UCF — and with Bryson Lucas's 25 points and 10 rebounds announcing that Dunk City intends to be a problem.
ORLANDO — Florida Gulf Coast's season opener had everything except the final bounce. The Eagles led at halftime, rallied from 12 down in the second half, forced overtime on Chase Konieczny's layup at the buzzer, tied the extra period at 90 with 1:59 left, and watched Bryson Lucas's desperation 90-footer catch the side of the rim at the end of a 96-95 overtime loss to UCF on Monday night. The difference was Dior Johnson, who scored a game-high 41 points in his second stint at UCF, including four late points in overtime.
The Eagles announced themselves early. A 9-0 run late in the first half — capped by Darren Williams's fourth long-range shot tying it at 32 and two Turk Brown free throws — sent FGCU into the break up 38-36. Johnson then detonated the start of the second half, scoring 15 points in the first six minutes as UCF built a 61-49 lead. FGCU weathered it: Justin Houser and Lucas drained 3-pointers, the Eagles tied it at 71 with 6:04 left, and after BB Washington — who had open heart surgery and missed last season — made three free throws, Konieczny laid it in as time expired to force overtime at 82.
Overtime swung twice more. Lewis Walker and Arturo Dean made layups and Johnson hit a 3-pointer for a 7-0 UCF run, but Lucas tied it at 90. Johnson's layup and two free throws made it 96-92 before Konieczny's 3-pointer with five seconds left cut it to one — and after a missed free throw, Lucas's launch from 90 feet hit the side of the rim. Lucas finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds for FGCU, Houser added 20 points and six boards, and Konieczny and Williams scored 15 apiece. It goes in the book as a loss; it read, for 45 minutes in Orlando, like a warning to the ASUN.
