Tacko Fall had not played against anybody as tall as he is. The Anteaters have Mamadou Ndiaye, the rim-protecting vet who was the second-leading scorer in the team’s near-upset of Louisville in last season’s NCAA tournament.
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Late in the first half, Fall has two points, blocks, and rebounds, while N’Diaye has been held to just one rebound so far. “It was Tacko’s second game, and not having practiced a lot, to be put in that atmosphere against a more experienced Mamadou… this will give him a few confidence”.
When Senegalese 7-feet-6 players Tacko Fall and Mamadou Ndiaye took the floor for the UC-Irvine-Central Florida game, the fans were excited to see which big man would have the advantage in the athleticism department by winning the opening tip-off.
“I just did my job”, Fall said.
Junior guard Luke Nelson led the Anteaters with a game high 22 points, accompanied by six assists and three rebounds, in the 61-60 win over the Knights. Irvine’s better shooting percentage, 32% compared to UCF’s 26%, gave them the 26-24 lead heading into the second half.
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Ndiaye scored 3 of his 5 points in overtime to account for UC Irvine’s total and A.J. Davis knocked down two free throws in OT for all of the Knights’ points. “He told me to work hard and keep playing and it’s going to come along”.
