Written by Adrian Beecher
Orlando, FL – Houston flexed their muscle early and UCF was unable to climb out of an early hole after going down 10 late in the 1st half. The Knights came out hot early in the 2nd half, but an injury dulled the momentum and a 20 point deficit ensued. UCF was able to cut it down to single digits in the end, but it was too little too late.
Here’s how it all went down at CFE Arena in No. 12 Houstons 77-68 win over UCF.
UCF won the tip and started with possession, however, neither team was able to get on the board during their first possession. Tacko Fall would try to slam in the first points of the night with a dunk, but was found. It was the third time in the first 1:18 of the game that Fall was fouled. Tacko would make the front end of two free throws.
Foul trouble started early for the Coogs as Breaon Brady picked up two in the first minute of the game guarding Fall. However, the Coogs would pick up their first points from the field as Galen Robinson put in a layup to make it 2-1 Houston with 17:14 left in the 1st half. This was just the start of a 7-0 run for the Coogs.
Terrell Allen would put an end to the run for the Knights as he took a steal the other way for a layup and was fouled in the process and able to convert at the line. This made it 7-4 UH with under 16 minutes left in the 1st.
The Coogs continued to show the advantage, slowly pulling away from the Knights. However, UCF wouldn’t go away, and a triple from BJ Taylor with 11:58 left in the period, sent the crow into a frenzy, cutting the deficit back to 4 at 15-11. Then out of the timeout, Frank Bertz drilled a triple, off the assist from Taylor, making it a one-point game.
After a quick Houston basket, Bertz drains another one to tie things up at 17. Then it was all Houston the next 3 minutes as the Coogs went on a 10-0 run to take a 27-17 lead over the Knights. A free throw from Dejesus Caeser would try to put a temporary hold to the breach in the levee. The lead would continue to increase, however, with UH going up 13 with 4:21 left to play.
The trend continued as the Coogs took a 40-25 lead into the locker room at the half. UCF struggled heavily from the field shooting just 28% on 7 of 25 baskets, and just 25% beyond the arc. The Coogs however, shot a cool 48% and were 38.5% from long range. The Knights struggles were also evident at the line, shooting just 47% on 8 of 17 shots from the stripe. UH was a solid 90% from the line making 9 of 10.
“Guys that are good free throw shooters, going up there missing 2 free throws. That really never happens, so you know we were a little tight.” said UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins of his team early on, “I thought our guys kinda warmed into the game as it got going on, but you know some of those free throws where we were able to stop some runs they were having and keeping us right in the game. Especially ones in the early twenties and high teens for us. We were right there and we’re going to the line missing two and going to the line missing again. And they are able to stretch the lead out, they dodge bullets every time we missed those type of free throws and unfortunately, we did that in the first half.”
Things looked to be turning a page as the 2nd half got underway with the Knights out on the right foot.
To get the 2nd half underway after a missed shot from Houston, Tacko Fall slammed home a dunk to set the tone for the Knights as they cut the deficit to 13. A minute later, Terrell Allen got back in on the action with a jumper of his own. Houston still had yet to score to this point. However, on the inbound, the tied tide turned. The catalyst, UCF’s Collin Smith picked up a personal foul for contacting Corey Davis Jr.’s eye, drawing blood.
The injury paused gameplay and all the momentum that Knights had been building to start the second half. Davis Jr. got to take two shots alone at the line, missed the first and then drained the 2nd. Houston maintained possession and then Armani Brooks drained a triple, making it once again a 15 point game.
With Houston in full control of momentum, they pulled away once again, going up by 19 with 11:19 left to play and then again by 20 with 7:12 left to play.
UCF continued to try their might and was able to cut the deficit to 7 four times in the final minute. However, they were unable to climb their way out of the hole and suffered their first home conference loss 77-68.
“The first half, we dug a hole for ourselves. I mean give them credit the way they were playing and knocked us back.” said coach Dawkins, ” I thought the second half we responded and played the way I think we are capable of. But when your playing against a team that’s that good and that well-coached, it’s a tough hill to climb. So I give my guys a lot of credit for cutting it to single digits.”
The Knights finished the evening shooting just 42.6% but shot a 55.2% mark in the second half. A huge catalyst in the loss was the Knights inability to hit shots from the stripe, making just 14 of 27 from the line, something coach Dawkins attributed to being tight early.
They will need to regroup quickly and get back in the zone with a quick turn around as they head on the road to face SMU in Dallas on Sunday.
(Photo Credit: Chris Tello / The SkyBoat)
