Exhibition Season Wrap: UCF falls to LSU as Johnny Dawkins sees 'teachable moments' heading into season opener

UCF closed out its two-game exhibition slate with a 75-68 loss to LSU on Sunday afternoon at Addition Financial Arena, a game that offered head coach Johnny Dawkins and his staff a final preseason evaluation opportunity before next Monday’s regular season opener against Hofstra.

The Knights led 36-29 at halftime and saw promising stretches of play, but second-half turnovers and a more physical LSU squad ultimately tilted the game the Tigers’ way.

“I thought it was a great game for our guys,” Dawkins said afterward. “That’s what exhibition games are for, to learn about your team, your chemistry, your rotations. We battled and had our moments, but now the challenge is finding a way to play 40 minutes instead of just 20 or 25. That’s something you only find out when you’re in this situation.”

Turnovers and tempo flip second half

UCF started fast, using a 10-0 first-half run to seize momentum and build an 11-point lead. Riley Kugel hit three of his first five from deep and scored 17 of his game-high 21 points before the break. George Beale Jr. came off the bench and connected on 4 of 7 from beyond the arc to finish with 18 points. The Knights shot 48.3% in the first half and led by seven at intermission.

But LSU opened the second half with renewed energy, tying the game at 38 just two minutes in, and outscoring UCF 46-32 in the second half.

Dedan Thomas Jr. led the Tigers with 16 points.

“Really proud of our guys’ effort today,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said afterward. I thought we played really together. This is an awesome new opportunity — being able to play these exhibition games against really talented teams like UCF.

“I was proud of our response coming out of halftime. I thought UCF really hurt us in transition and from behind the three-point line in the first half. But I thought our players did a great job adjusting. We defended the three-point line much better.

“Offensively, we threw it all over the gym in the first half — I think both teams did — but in the second half, we settled in and executed really well. Dedan Thomas did a terrific job running the show. We won the three-point line in the second half, going 6-of-10, and I thought our players did a great job getting to the free throw line.”

UCF committed 16 turnovers, nine in the second half, which LSU turned into 18 points.

“We didn’t start the second half the way I wanted us to,” Dawkins said. “We were pressing offensively, trying to make things happen instead of letting the game come to us. It comes from a good place — the guys want to win — but we’ve got to play smarter and more composed in those moments.”

Kugel, Beale provide scoring punch

Despite the loss, UCF saw several positive developments, most notably from Kugel and Beale, who appear to be settling into key scoring roles.

Kugel led all scorers with 21 points, adding seven assists and three rebounds. The transfer with prior stops at Florida and Mississippi State was electric in stretches, hitting three triples and slashing to the rim in transition.

“Riley is a talented player,” Dawkins said. “He’s still learning our system, still figuring out just how good he can be at this level. But he’s working hard, trying to do the things we’re asking him to do. He’s only going to get better.”

Beale, a Hampton transfer who was scoreless in the Duke game, bounced back with confidence, knocking down shots in rhythm and providing a spark off the bench.

“George is a three-level scorer — outside, midrange, at the basket,” Dawkins said. “He responded exactly how we hoped after Duke. That tells me a lot about who he is as a person and a player.”

Learning from two tough exhibitions

Sunday’s game followed Tuesday’s 96-71 road loss at No. 6 Duke, where the Knights struggled against the Blue Devils’ length and tempo. The two exhibitions were intentionally scheduled to test UCF’s rebuilt roster early, a big departure from the Division II games or closed scrimmages from years past.

“Some of my players have never played at this level before,” Dawkins said. “And so there’s nowhere around it. The only way you can have them understand how intense it’s going to be or how physical or what the pace is going to look like is for them to face those type of opponents.

“These guys now understand on a nightly basis this is what we’re going to see… I think they will develop and respond faster than if we had maybe eased them into this and didn’t give them a real approximation of what they’re going to see. And so I think it was the right decision for this group.

“As a competitor, you want to win these games. But we all start back at 0-0 next week across the country. And we move from there. And I think we’ll be better from these experiences.”

Exhibition return in Baton Rouge next season

LSU head coach Matt McMahon felt his team gained tremendously playing a road exhibition, while also adding UCF is scheduled to return the trip with an exhibition in Baton Rouge next year.

“We wanted to have that experience in a game that doesn’t count — to go through our routine, how we prepare, how we meet at the hotel — just all those little details,” McMahon said. “Then you get live action with fans in the stands.

“UCF has to be one of the older teams in the country, I would think, so you’re playing against really experienced, talented players. You see some things you do well, and you see some things you obviously need to improve.

“I think it’s a great rule, and I’m thankful to Coach Dawkins for setting this up. We look forward to them returning to LSU next year.”

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