PLANTATION – Deandre Gholston did not start this game for Missouri.
But it did not deter him from starring in the AutoNation Orange Bowl Classic.
Gholston banged a three from near mid-court to take down UCF, 68-66.
It was a game that the Knights had momentum on their side in the last minute of this one.
“I was just trying to read the game. D’Moi [Hodge] had a great push off the rebound. I saw two UCF players, you know, trying to double,” Gholston said. “I was trying to lag behind a little bit as we teach in our program. And I knew D’Moi was trying to find me for a shot. Once he found me, I just believed.”
FUN FACT: This is the third game-winner of Gholston’s college career. One of the other two happened when he played for aMilwaukee in a win over Cleveland State, a team that was led by then-head coach Dennis Gates.
Gates, who is now the Missouri head coach, commented on his team’s last-minute heroics.
“I felt good in the huddle because I said, we’re not fouling where some teams would normally just start fouling and put guys on the free throw line,” Gates said. “I knew we were down one possession. And analytically, I wanted to take the approach of, get a stop, we’re only down two, and we could win the game versus fouling, putting them up three or to the free throw line.”
“I knew if we got the ball back, which we did, that three-point shot went in and out for them, and our guard rebounded,” Gates continued. “I was just going to put the pressure on our defense to get stops. And I knew these guys practice, you know, at the end of every practice, even when I call huddles, they want to throw the basketball up and practice those half-court shots. They’re doing it for a reason. And obviously, tonight, that reason showed up and drained them.”
Mizzou guard Nick Honor was awarded as MVP of the Game and finished with 17 points – a team-high against UCF.
Honor had some extra motivation today, as he got to play against the team he originally wanted to attend out of high school.
“I’m from Eastern Orlando, so it’s about 10 minutes away from UCF,” Honor said. “I wanted to go there out of high school. But it just didn’t work out, so that was definitely a big enough chip on my shoulder to carry us over the top.”
Mizzou improves its record to 10-1, which and UCF falls to 8-3 on the season.
PHOTO CREDIT: Ronaldo Garcia
