CF Patriots 72, Santa Fe 68 (MBB)

Central Florida staged an epic second-half rally Monday night to knock off rival Santa Fe 72-68 and keep its men's basketball conference record unblemished.

The Patriots (19-4, 5-0 Mid-Florida Conference) endured a first half marked by poor shooting and porous defense, then corrected both in the second half to eliminate an eight-point Saints halftime lead. CF's shooting percentage improved from 34 to 46 percent, while Santa Fe's plummetted from 52 to 42 percent. The Patriots also dominated on the boards, claiming 38 rebounds, including 14 offensive, to the Saints' 30.

Kevin Foster capped CF's persistent second-half surge with a rugged post basket with under 3 minutes to go, collecting a deft entry pass from Mathiang Muo and depositing a contested layup to give CF its first lead of the second half. Slobodan Miljanic laced another go-ahead shot a minute later (see video above), lacing a three-pointer from the wing that put the Patriots up for good.

Muo posted a 25-point, 10-rebound double-double, both game highs, while Foster added 21 points and 8 boards.

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