UCF is coming off of somewhat of a disappointing season, as they finished just below .500, with a 11-12 record. With COVID-19 heavily affecting all parts of the world last year, it was a very unpredictable season for programs across the board. With distractions on and off court, it’s difficult to judge any program on possible struggles from last season, let alone UCF. 
With that said, the Knights are coming into this season with higher expectations than last year. UCF has many key players returning and brought in a handful of new players, such as freshman guard, Darius Johnson and redshirt senior center, Cheikh Mbacke Diong, who will both receive heavy minutes this season. Going into Wednesday night’s season opener, Knight Nation was excited to see how this experienced UCF team was going to perform. 
The Knights got off to a hot start against Robert Morris, and carried that momentum throughout the first half, as they entered the break with a 17 point lead. UCF followed up with a solid second half, keeping the Colonials out of contention for the majority of the game. The Knights’ defense stole the show, as they recorded 8 blocks and created 16 turnovers, while holding Robert Morris to shooting 32% from the field. Their defensive effort contributed the most to the Knights’ 69-59 win over the Colonials. 
Fifth year guard, Darius Perry and junior guard, Darin Green Jr., led the way offensively for the Knights. Perry recorded a game-high, 18 points and Green Jr. had 14 points. Diong was the anchor for the Knights’ impressive defensive performance, as he had 7 rebounds and 5 blocks. Coming off the bench, junior forward, C.J. Walker, had a great overall performance with 12 points and led the team in rebounding, racking up 8 boards. 

Photos: Cameron Robertson/FAAZ Sports