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UCF tops UMass to stay unbeaten

Dec 23, 2010 - 3:21 AM Amherst, MA (Sports Network) - Isaac Sosa and Keith Clanton scored 14 and 13 points, respectively, as the 24th-ranked UCF Knights remained unbeaten with a 64-59 win over the Massachusetts Minutemen at the Mullins Center.

Clanton also pulled down eight rebounds and has scored at least 10 points in each of UCF's 11 games to start the year.

The Knights (11-0) are ranked for the first time in program history and have yet to lose under new head coach Donnie Jones.

Anthony Gurley had 17 points to pace the Minutemen (7-4), who have lost four in a row.

The first seven minutes of the second half proved to be a back-and-forth battle.

Gurley made back-to-back layups to put Massachusetts ahead by one, 40-39, with 12:50 to play. UCF, though, scored the next six points and never looked back.

Marcus Jordan, Clanton and Tom Herzog each made layups to give the Knights a 45-40 margin with 9:44 remaining.

Gurley stopped the bleeding with a pair of free throws, but Sosa responded with a three-pointer to make it 48-42 with 8:47 left.

Raphiael Putney got UMass within three, 50-47, on a layup with 4 1/2 minutes to go. A.J. Rompza and Herzog each made two free throws around Herzog's block of Sampson Carter's attempted layup. That gave UCF a 54-47 edge with 3:57 to play.

The Minutemen had one last charge left in them. Sean Carter made a free throw to make it a 57-52 game, and Rompza was called for an offensive foul on the ensuing inbounds pass. Carter quickly capitalized with a layup to make it a three-point game with 2:01 left.

Daryl Traynham and Putney each missed shots from beyond the arc for UMass. The home team went into foul mode from that point on, and the Knights made 7-of-8 foul shots down the stretch for the victory.

Trailing by five, 9-4, early on, UMass put together a 13-2 run to go in front. Carter and Freddie Riley each tallied four points during the surge, which Traynham capped with a free throw for a 17-11 edge with 9:19 remaining.

UCF ripped off seven straight points moments later to take the lead back. Jarvis Davis' layup and free throw made it 19-18 with 4:35 to go. The Knights took a 26-24 advantage into the half.

Game Notes

UCF leads the all-time series with UMass, 2-1...The Knights made 5-of-16 shots from beyond the arc, while the Minutemen went 2-of-22 from three-point range...UMass hosted a non-conference ranked team for the first time since upsetting No. 7 UConn on December 9, 2004. That was UMass' last home win against a ranked team as well...Gurley reached double-figures for the 11th time in as many games this season.