UCF was less than 10 points away from delivering an upset

UCF men’s basketball suffers its first home loss in the new year at the hands of the No.1 Arizona Wildcats, 84-77.

“I thought our guys fought their hearts out for 40 minutes against what I think is a great basketball team,” UCF men’s basketball head coach Johnny Dawkins said. “I’ve seen a lot of teams this year, and I was impressed with how [Arizona] plays. They know who they are and play to their strengths. So I was really proud of our guys for the fight we showed.”

The noise from a capacity crowd of 10,000 filled with Knights fans played a part in the matchup as Arizona ended the game 69.7% in free throws, compared to UCF’s free throw percentage of 92.9.

Knights Nation leapt from their seats when sophomore center John Bol slammed the first dunk of the night, assisted by senior forward Jamichael Stillwell, at the beginning of the first half.

But UCF lost its momentum after Arizona senior Tobe Awaka returned the favor with a dunk of his own that put the Wildcats in the lead 11-9.

What began as a close back-and-forth matchup turned into a downward spiral for the Knights, as they struggled make a basket early in the first half with a field goal percentage of 48%, and 27% from three. At one point, Arizona held a 15-point lead at 26-11.

Arizona center sophomore Motiejus Krivas led the Wildcats with 15 points, shooting 5 of 7, while delivering defensive pressure with seven rebounds and an assist.

However, Dawkins said his players can’t be consumed by the opposing team making a run.

“We try to stay focused on the things that we can control,” Dawkins said. “We try to execute a good offense, and we know it’s about getting stops. So we’re trying to dig in defensively to slow them down and break the momentum.”

It wasn’t until a steal turned into a goal-tended layup and a three-pointer from junior forward Jordan Burks that turned the tide for UCF.

Fifth-year guard Themus Fulks contributed to the Knights’ recovery, putting up 17 points, shooting 7 of 8, and handing out four assists in the first half.

“I try to play make [and] do what’s best for the team. I’m a capable scorer and known for my assists and passing,” Fulks said. “Whatever I can do—whether that’s score, pass, or play a little defense— to try to help the team win.”

Yet their efforts weren’t enough to put the Knights in the lead as Arizona ended the first three points ahead at 41-38.

The game’s aggression continued coming out of the locker room after halftime, with bodies being shoved left and right. But the numerous fouls called on UCF pushed the Knights further away from a win, giving Arizona multiple opportunities to shoot free throws.

“[Arizona] does a great job of getting to the free-throw line,” Dawkins said. “We had an emphasis on trying to keep them off the line [and] we didn’t do it as well as I would have liked to. They bring a level of physicality around the basket—whether through posting or driving—that puts you in compromising positions throughout the game and they force you to play their brand of basketball.”

Much like the first half, the Knights had difficulty scoring against the Wildcats’ defense, who had 19 fastbreak points in the second half, courtesy of five rebounds from Arizona center Motiejus Krivas, followed by Jaden Bradley with four rebounds and three assists.

However, three-pointers from Burks and Stillwell late in the second half kept hope alive.

With under a minute left, junior guard Chris Johnson pulled a spin move three-pointer that brought the game to a six-point difference at 79-73.

However, three fouls called on sixth-year forward Devan Cambridge and Burks put the Wildcats at a safe distance, securing the win.

UCF finished the game shooting 40% compared to Arizona’s 52%. However, the Knights managed to finish ahead in three-point field goal percentages with 30.8, while the Wildcats followed with 23.1%.

Despite losing at home, Dawkins believes the Knights will grow from this experience.

“If they take it the right way, you can grow from what just happened,” Dawkins said. “I hate to lose and learn from losing, but there are some lessons we can learn. When we watch tape and give our guys feedback, we can build on it as we go forward.”

Fulks proved himself to be an all-around player, scoring 30 points and shooting 5 of 8, while grabbing five rebounds and eight assists. In agreement with his head coach, the 6’2” guard said the Knights can’t hold their heads down.

“We’re going to learn from this, get better and stay the course,” Fulks said. “We’re gonna continue to show the world that we’re a good basketball team.”

UCF heads back on the road to face the No.2 Iowa State Cyclones at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the Hilton Coliseum.