UCF has just wrapped up one of the busier weeks remaining on its schedule, with three games played in a seven-day span. These are the weeks that can make or break a team’s conference performance, testing not only ability on the court, but also preparation and perseverance with limited rest and practice time. To this end, while the Knights would undoubtedly have liked to go 3-0 on the week, they’ll likely be pleased taking two of three, in the greater scheme of things.
The week began last Sunday when UCF hosted a now-reeling SMU team fresh off a trip to Houston. The Cougars had dismissed the Mustangs by a score of 87-53, and as it turned out, UCF produced a nearly identical drubbing. SMU scored the first bucket of the game and never led again. A hot start from senior guard Ithiel Horton helped the Knights to an early 12-4 lead, and while SMU was able to keep things from getting out of hand, the lead was nine at half.
Nearly as soon as the second half began, however, the Knights began to put the game out of reach. Successive three-pointers by Horton, CJ Kelly, and Horton again in the span of just over two minutes grew the lead to 43-30, and from there the Mustangs more or less succumbed to an ongoing barrage. In the end, UFC came away with an 85-53 win –– its most lopsided margin of the season to date –– to improve its conference record to 3-1. Horton led the scoring with 21, though four others, including Tyem Freeman and Brandon Suggs off the bench, also managed double figures.
Just a few days later the Knights hosted Memphis, which despite a rocky start in conference play remains a team with clear NCAA Tournament upside. This would prove to be, without a doubt, the most dramatic game UCF has played yet this season.
This time around, there was little to separate the two teams through 40 minutes of regulation. From tip-off, Tigers star Kendric Davis unleashed a relentless scoring barrage, overcoming a poor shooting effort from deep by attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line. The Knights responded in real time with a more balanced effort from Horton, Suggs, Taylor Hendricks, and –– coming off the bench for this game –– Kelly.
After UCF led by two at the half and Memphis made up the margin, the conference rivals headed into overtime, and eventually double overtime. It was a game that quite clearly could have tilted in either direction. But in the end, stellar free throw shooting and a push from the home crowd helped the Knights to hold on for a three-point win. Davis of Memphis led all scorers with a sensational 42-point effort in 47 minutes played, but UCF’s shooting across the board –– 45.7% from three and an impressive 33 for 37 at the line –– proved enough to overcome the star showing. UCF improved to 4-1 in conference play with the victory.
These two wins alone made for a strong week for the UCF program. Unfortunately, the Knights couldn’t quite pull off the hat-trick in their trip to Tulane on Saturday. As fans of the American Athletic Conference are coming to realize, this is an unusually strong Green Wave team, and one that has been nearly unbeatable on its home court. True to form, Tulane proved the stronger team this time around, leading nearly wire to wire, and at one point ballooning the margin to 17.
The Knights made a spirited run in the second half, and even cut Tulane’s 15-point halftime margin to three on a jumper from Tyem Freeman (who led UCF with 22 points) with just over three minutes to play. Green Wave star Jaylen Forbes quickly responded with a scoring drive, however, and Tulane hit its free throws down the stretch to seal a 77-69 win. For the most part, the difference can be chalked up to significant free throw discrepancy (Tulane shot 24 of 27, while UCF only managed 10 of 12) and a remarkable 15 steals by the Green Wave.
This loss dropped the Knights to 4-2 in conference play and 13-5 overall. It will be looked at as a missed opportunity in a winnable road game. Nevertheless, a 2-1 finish to a busy week is a positive. UCF now gets nearly a week to regroup before a trip to South Florida, and will then have three more days off before a crucial rematch with top-ranked Houston.
