Sports: Bulls narrowly escape with win

USF (14-6), buoyed by a vociferous contingent of supporters, subdued UCF (11-8) behind four consecutive free throws by Will McDonald in the final 33.1 seconds, which broke a tie at 77.

The 6-foot-11 junior, who scored a career-high 28 Saturday against Cincinnati, eclipsed that with 29 and set a career-best with 13 rebounds in front of a near-sellout crowd of 2,304.

"I just looked at (assistant coach Brian Yankelevitz), and he said just go ahead and shoot them," McDonald, a 58 percent free-throw shooter, said of his free throws. "I had confidence."

"I can't say enough about Will McDonald," USF coach Seth Greenberg said. "If I can get B.B. (Waldon, who had 10 points) and Will on the same page in the next 10 games, we could be real good."

A loss would have been USF's fourth in five games and jeopardized its NCAA Tournament hopes.

"A loss would have been devastating," McDonald said. "We feel fortunate. It was harder than we thought it would be."

McDonald played 38 minutes because backup Mike Bernard sat out with a dislocated toe.

UCF's Joey and Stephen Graham, sophomore twins from Brandon High who attended a camp at USF throughout high school, ignited the Knights in the second half and combined for 36 points, including several dunks.

UCF led 36-35 at halftime, but USF moved in front 61-53 on Altron Jackson's fourth 3-pointer after intermission. On his first 3-pointer of the half, he became Conference USA's all-time leading scorer, surpassing the 1,763 of former Charlotte star DeMarco Johnson.

The Bulls led 68-61 after a tip-in by McDonald before the Grahams rallied UCF.

They combined to score the next nine points (with help from a technical on the USF bench). UCF led 70-68 after a 40-foot alley-oop from Stephen (17 points) to Joey (19). UCF's Ray Abellard and USF's Reggie Kohn (4 of 6 3-pointers) traded 3-pointers to tie it at 73, and Kohn (16 points) made two free throws to tie it at 77 with 2:12 left.

After USF's 20th turnover with a minute to go and the score still tied, UCF worked Jason Thornton off of a screen for an open 3-pointer, but he missed. McDonald rebounded, got fouled and made both free throws for a two-point lead with 33.1 seconds left. Abellard (19 points) raced down and launched another 3-pointer with Jackson in his face. It hit the back rim, McDonald rebounded and got fouled and again swished both free throws to make it 81-77 with 16.7 seconds left. Two free throws by Brian Swift with 5.6 seconds left sealed it.

USF had won seven in a row over UCF before Tuesday, including by 30 at the Sun Dome last season.

With this game sandwiched between high-profile Conference USA matchups against Cincinnati and Friday at Louisville and with UCF improved, the Bulls, who outrebounded the Knights 52-28, nearly were upset victims.

"It played out exactly the way I expected it would," Greenberg said. "Between those two (conference) games, on the road, in a hostile environment. ... UCF attacked us."

"The game just slipped out of our hands," Abellard said. "We believed we had the game."

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