UCF Men and Women Open Season With Wins at Addition Financial Arena

UCF men’s and women’s basketball teams both claimed victories at Addition Financial Arena this week, marking the start of their respective 2026-27 regular seasons. The men’s team defeated Florida Gulf Coast University 96-95 in overtime on Monday night, while the women’s team beat Florida A&M University 85-56 on Tuesday night.

Dior Johnson, a senior guard, led the Knights to the men’s victory with a career-defining performance. He scored 41 points, shooting 13-of-15 from the field and 4-for-4 from three-point range. This total set the UCF Division I record for the most points scored in a season opener. Lewis Walker added 16 points and Arturo Dean contributed 15 points from the bench, which accounted for 42 of the team’s total points.

The men’s game remained tight until the final seconds of regulation, ending in an 82-82 tie. UCF held FGCU to just one point off turnovers, improving upon their previous season-low mark of two. The Knights will host Yale at 7 p.m. on Friday and South Alabama at 7 p.m. next Tuesday. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast on the radio on AM740 and FM 96.9.

Gabe Lazo made his debut as UCF women’s head coach on Tuesday night. The Knights controlled the paint, scoring 44 points in the interior, and capitalized on Florida A&M’s mistakes with 26 points off turnovers. UCF’s defense limited the Rattlers to 27.6 percent shooting from the field.

Key Roseby led the women’s offensive effort with 22 points, including a career-high six three-pointers. Caitlyn Jones scored 13 points and Mikayla Johnson added 13 points, giving the Knights five players in double figures. The team will travel to Gainesville to face the University of Florida at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. They will return to Addition Financial Arena to host South Alabama at 6:30 p.m. next Monday.

Both basketball teams’ upcoming games are part of the early regular-season schedule. The men’s game against Yale is scheduled for Friday, and the women’s game against South Alabama is set for Monday. ESPN+ will stream all four upcoming matches.