March 24th, 2019. The UCF Knights prepared for battle against the Duke Blue Devils and were defeated by a margin of one point, with a final score of 77–76. Despite this upsetting loss (and the massive outrage over some blown calls), we should choose to celebrate how far our Knights basketball team has come! Here are three reasons to celebrate:
1. History was made!
It’s been 14 years since the Knights basketball team has been able to play in the NCAA Tournament. The past few years have been such a turn-around for Knight Nation, and we should be proud to make it after such a long period of time!
2. Our victory over VCU!
VCU’s loss was our gain, as it happened to be our first NCAA Tournament win within program history. The final score was 73–58!
3. UCF gains more recognition!
Not only has our successful March Madness comeback brought Knight Nation closer together, but it has also hyped up the UCF spirit we know and love! A crucial factor in the success of our basketball team this season is our amazingly talented players. Aubrey Dawkins—who also happens to be the son of the team’s coach Johnny Dawkins—received a particularly high amount of praise. Each player and network were announcing how Dawkins was one of the best players out on the court!
It’s important for Knight Nation to take a step back and celebrate the history that has been made this season. Without such hardworking players and an even harder working coach, we would not have made it this far. UCF and Knight Nation have shown their spirit and proven themselves, and we’ll only continue to flourish!
Charge on Knights!