Jamichael Stillwell powers UCF past VMI as Knights muscle to 7–1 start
On a day when the 3-point shot abandoned UCF in a way it hasn’t all season, Johnny Dawkins’ team simply overwhelmed VMI everywhere else.
Behind a monster performance from senior forward Jamichael Stillwell — 21 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three steals for his third double-double of the year — UCF dominated the paint, pounded the offensive glass and controlled all the winning margins in an 82–57 victory Saturday afternoon at Addition Financial Arena.
The Knights improved to 7–1, their best start since Dawkins’ first season in 2016-17.
UCF finished with a 54–16 points-in-the-paint advantage and a 57–38 rebounding margin, including an astonishing 28 offensive rebounds, the program’s most since 1997.
“We want to be a team that isn’t relying on the three-point shot all the time,” Dawkins told Eric Lopez in his postgame interview. “There were other plays to be made, and tonight the plays were on the boards. Our guys stayed aggressive and made those plays.”
VMI entered averaging 34 three-point attempts per game, and UCF’s defensive plan adjusted quickly once the Keydets hit a couple early.
“They really spread the floor with shooters at every position,” Dawkins said. “We ended up sizing down, playing more small ball so we could guard the perimeter better. After the first 10–12 minutes, I thought we settled in defensively.”
The result: VMI shot just 28% from the field (17–61) and 23.5% from three (8–34).
Only one Keydet reached double figures — Mario Tatum Jr., with 19.
Meanwhile, Stillwell set the tone inside. The 6-foot-8 senior scored 12 points in the first half as UCF turned a 22–17 deficit into a 45–32 lead at the break.
“He has a warrior’s heart,” Dawkins said. “He brings our guys along with how he approaches every game and every practice. He goes 100 percent, and that becomes contagious.”
Stillwell anchored both ends, completing his third double-double in eight games and building on a season in which he entered ranking Top 10 in the Big 12 in rebounds per game and Top 50 nationally in double-doubles.
Second-chance avalanche
UCF missed a lot of shots, especially from deep. The Knights, who entered the day third nationally at 47.7% from three, finished just 4-for-30 beyond the arc.
But Dawkins said the lack of shooting never rattled the group.
“That just says who we are,” he said. “We’re not a team where if we’re not hitting threes, we’re not doing anything else. We want to be unselfish and make the plays in front of us.”
Those plays were overwhelmingly near the rim.
UCF scored on putbacks, slips, cuts and transition opportunities created by defensive stops. The Knights logged 19 assists to only eight turnovers, another point Dawkins emphasized.
“This is one of our better passing teams,” he said. “We talked all summer and fall about how we need to play to be successful, and our guys are working toward that every day.”
Themus Fulks once again stabilized the offense with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Jordan Burks added 14 points and John Bol, Devan Cambridge, Carmelo Pacheco and others all contributed on the glass and defensive end.
Bench production remained strong as UCF posted 30 bench points, including eight from Jeremy Foumena and eight from Cambridge.
Decisive runs seal it early
A 10–0 UCF run flipped the first half, and a 14–0 run later, fittingly started and finished by Stillwell, pushed the Knights ahead by 16 with 1:02 left.
UCF never looked back.
The Knights led the entire second half by double digits. Their largest lead (78–49) came after a 13–0 surge punctuated by a corner three from Carmelo Pacheco with 3:14 remaining.
Program milestone for Dawkins
The win also marked Johnny Dawkins’ 175th victory at UCF, making him the fastest coach in program history to reach that mark.
“That means I’ve been fortunate to coach some really good players,” Dawkins said. “I hope I can get 175 more.”
Looking Ahead: Finals Week & Towson test
With UCF now off for a week heading into finals, Dawkins said the focus will shift toward academics before preparation begins for Towson, projected to be one of the top mid-majors this season.
“They’re very competitive,” Dawkins said. “I haven’t seen them yet on film, but I know they’re good. We’ll give our guys some time for academics, then get back and prepare.”
UCF hosts Towson on Sunday, Dec. 7.
