The Knights walked into a buzzsaw early and never quite recovered.
From the opening tip, Iowa State turned defensive pressure into instant offense, capitalizing on five straight Knights turnovers to spark a 12-2 run. Just four minutes into the game, the Cyclones were in control, up 12-5, and the Knights were left searching for answers.
It wasn’t just a rough start-it was a full-blown offensive struggle for UCF throughout the first half. By the 7:23 mark, they had managed only 16 points, while Iowa State kept its foot on the gas, stretching the lead to 29-16. The Knights looked out of rhythm, and the turnovers-already piling up-were feeding Iowa State’s transition game.
Then came a glimmer of hope. Riley Kugel knocked down a three that seemed to breathe life into the Knights’ offense.
That shot kicked off a 7-0 run, with UCF hitting four of their next five shots to trim the deficit to just five at 31-26 with 4:40 left in the half. For a moment, it looked like the tide was starting to turn.
But just as quickly as the Knights found their footing, it slipped away again. They went ice cold to close the half-four straight scoreless minutes-and Iowa State pounced. The Cyclones rattled off a 13-0 run to end the period, heading into the locker room with a commanding 44-26 lead.
The halftime numbers told the story. UCF, a team that usually averages 11.5 turnovers per game, had already coughed it up 13 times in the first 20 minutes. That lack of ball security disrupted any chance of rhythm on offense and led to their lowest-scoring half of the season.
It was a brutal stretch for the Knights-one that exposed just how costly early mistakes and cold shooting spells can be, especially against a team that knows how to capitalize.