Eagles Fall to UCF on Friday - Georgia Southern University Athletics

Friday, November 13

Orlando, FL

8 p.m.

Georgia Southern University

1-3,0-0Sun Belt

UCF

4-0,0-0Big 12

Team	1	2	F
Ga. Southern	27	43	70
UCF	36	48	84

Box Score (PDF)

11/14/2026 12:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

ORLANDO, Fla. — Georgia Southern (1-3) lost to UCF (4-0) 84-70 Friday night at Addition Financial Arena. The Eagles scored 43 second-half points and committed five turnovers, but were outscored 52-22 in the paint and outrebounded 47-35.

UCF scored the first four points and built a 10-5 lead on Arturo Dean's fast-break layup at 15:56, while Cole Crissman's 3-pointer and Truman Claytor IV's layup accounted for the Eagles' early field goals. The Eagles stayed close with Jayden Williams' free throw and Jeromy Davis' 3-pointer, but UCF moved ahead 19-11 before Eltramon Smith's 3-pointer and Dallas Gardner's free throw made it 19-15. UCF pushed the margin back to 24-15, then the Eagles worked back through Gardner's layup, Smith's steal and jumper, Elton James' layup, Gardner's basket and Elidjah Savane's steal and dunk to make it 30-27 at 2:42. UCF finished the half with Dior Johnson adding a free throw and a layup before Churchill Abass scored inside and completed the free throw, sending UCF into halftime ahead 36-27.

After Arturo Dean's transition layup gave UCF a 38-27 lead, the Eagles got a 3-pointer from Crissman, a Gardner steal and layup, a Smith layup and 3-pointers from Smith and Claytor IV to get within 42-40 at 16:52. UCF answered with Dean's layup and free throw, an Isaiah Malone 3-pointer and baskets by Riley Kugel and Dean to make it 52-40, then pushed the margin to 64-47 on Lewis Walker's free throws at 12:04. The Eagles cut back into the deficit from deep, with Gardner hitting 3-pointers at 11:22 and 9:59 before Claytor IV added a fast-break 3-pointer to make it 65-57 at 8:57. UCF followed with a John Bol free throw, a Dean fast-break layup and Dior Johnson free throws to move ahead 70-57, stretched the lead to 80-63 after Dean's steal and Cayden Vasko's layup, and closed out an 84-70 win.

Gardner scored 25 points and collected 11 rebounds, going 9 of 10 at the free-throw line. Claytor IV added 15 points with three 3-pointers, six rebounds and three assists. Smith finished with 13 points, two 3-pointers and two steals.

Up next, the Eagles host Middle Tennessee on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center in Statesboro, Ga.