Jamichael Stillwell made his return in a big way Saturday afternoon, and UCF felt the impact immediately. After missing the Knights’ last outing against Iowa State, the forward stepped back into the rotation and delivered 15 points and seven boards, helping fuel a 95-86 road win over Colorado in Boulder. It was a high-octane offensive showing from both sides early on, but UCF’s second-half defense made the difference.
The Knights, now 15-4 overall and 4-3 in Big 12 play, had five players score in double figures - a balanced attack that kept Colorado on its heels all night. Stillwell’s presence gave UCF another interior option, but this win was as much about adjustments as it was about execution.
In the first half, it looked like a track meet. Both teams shot north of 60% from the field, trading buckets in a game that had the feel of a shootout.
But when the teams came out of the locker room, UCF flipped the script defensively. The Knights tightened up, holding Colorado to just 41% shooting in the second half, while continuing to shoot lights-out themselves.
That kind of efficiency - 60% from the field for the game - is tough to beat, especially when you pair it with timely stops.
One of the biggest swing factors? Riley Kugel’s second-half surge.
Kugel found himself in early foul trouble, logging just nine minutes in the first half and scoring five points. But he came out of halftime with something to prove - and he delivered.
The guard poured in 17 second-half points to finish with 22, leading UCF in scoring for the seventh time this season. His biggest moment came in crunch time: with just over two minutes to go and the shot clock winding down, Kugel caught the ball on the right wing and launched a desperation heave off the glass - and it dropped.
That bucket gave UCF some much-needed breathing room, stretching a narrow two-possession lead and swinging momentum back in their favor.
While Kugel’s late-game heroics stole the spotlight, UCF’s bench quietly laid the foundation earlier in the game. With Kugel limited in the first half, the Knights’ reserves stepped up in a big way, combining for 30 points - their highest bench output since January 6th against Oklahoma State.
Devan Cambridge, Carmelo Pacheco, and Chris Johnson were the only three to come off the bench, but all three made their minutes count. Each hit at least two shots from beyond the arc, giving UCF a perimeter boost that helped them keep pace when Colorado’s offense was humming.
This win wasn’t just about putting up points - it was about resilience, depth, and timely execution. UCF showed they can win a shootout, but more importantly, they showed they can adjust and clamp down when the moment calls for it. That’s the kind of performance that travels in Big 12 play - and the kind that keeps a team in the hunt down the stretch.