If UCF coach Johnny Dawkins wanted to get a better understanding of his team, he got a good glimpse over a two-game exhibition schedule that featured No. 6 Duke and LSU.

The Knights, which open the season against Hofstra on Nov. 3, held a double-digit lead in the first half only to watch it disappear in a 75-68 loss over visiting LSU on Sunday at Addition Financial Arena.

“I get a lot more information and I get my players to start to adjust to the level that we are at,” Dawkins said of the purpose of the exhibition games. “Some of my players have never played at this level before, so there’s no way around it. The only way you can have them understand how intense it’s going to be, or how physical [it is], or what the pace is going to look like, is for them to face those types of oppon

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