A glimpse of victory turned into a shattering defeat

More than 8,700 spectators witnessed UCF men’s basketball endure a one-point loss in a suspenseful matchup against the Baylor Bears on Saturday night at Addition Financial Arena.

Ultimately, UCF’s (20-8, 9-7 Big 12) foul trouble and its struggles to control the boards prevented any chance of overcoming Baylor (15-14, 5-11 Big 12).

Senior forward Jamichael Stillwell entered the fold in a game-time decision with an apparent right ankle/foot injury, while senior guard Riley Kugel delivered a strong offensive performance after missing the past two games due to an undisclosed injury, finishing the matchup with 26 points and five assists.

“It’s good to have him back,” UCF men’s basketball head coach Johnny Dawkins said in the postgame conference. “I thought he gave us everything he had, considering he’s been out for quite a while. For what he went through, it was impressive because a lot of players couldn’t have done what he did tonight based on the limited reps he’s taken since the injury.”

Both teams began the matchup close without letting each other relinquish too far of a lead.

UCF gained traction after a hookshot jumper from sophomore center John Bol, followed by a three-point jumper by junior guard Chris Johnson, put the Knights at 17-12. Though Baylor sophomore guard Isaac Williams IV responded with a three-point jumper and a driving layup to keep the Bears afloat.

As the intensity progressed, redshirt junior center Jeremy Foumena sustained an injury after taking a hard fall under the rim after a layup attempt.

The tight contest widened a bit after Baylor redshirt sophomore Cameron Carr created distance with a second-chance jumper and a three-pointer, setting the score at 37-30.

With no rally in sight from UCF, Baylor maintained a 56-42 lead, outmatching UCF from the field at 54% to the Knights’ 44%. Carr was the driving force for the Bears’ offense as he finished the first half with 20 points while shooting 4-for-6 from three.

“He’s one of the best players in that league,” Dawkins said. “I wanted [UCF] to sit down and guard as hard as they could and make it as difficult as they possibly could for him because we know he’s good. We know he’s going to score some points and he’s done it all year long.”

UCF’s starting lineup launched straight out of halftime with a 10-point scoring run to put the scoring close at 56-52. Baylor senior guard Dan Skillings Jr. disrupted the Knights’ momentum with a layup on the fast break off an opponent turnover.

Several fouls called on UCF pushed the lead further from the Knights’ grasp, allowing Baylor to create a scoring gap, 66-58.

However, UCF persevered as a dunk from sixth-year forward Devan Cambridge electrified the crowd and began a seven-point scoring run late in the second half, bringing the matchup to 80-77 and forcing Baylor to call a timeout.

A jumper in the paint from senior forward Jamichael Stillwell, followed by Cambridge making two second-chance free throws, tied the matchup at 86-86 with 25 seconds left.

Though UCF’s glimmer of hope was snuffed out after a personal foul called on Kugel permitted Baylor fifth-year guard Obi Agbim to make 1-for-3 of the free throws, resulting in the Bears snapping the Knights’ three-game win streak.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Dawkins reiterated his “next play mentality” and the challenging nature of the Big 12 Conference.

“Every team is really talented and well-coached,” Dawkins said. “You have to understand that and get our guys together, start watching tape, figure out the lessons we need to learn and then you need to move forward. The next game is the most important game that you have.”

UCF continues its homestand to host the second Space Game of the season, taking on the Oklahoma State Cowboys (17-12, 5-11 Big 12) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Addition Financial Arena.