UCF came out of the locker room with purpose, opening the second half on a 7-0 burst that looked like it might tilt the game in their favor for good. Walter Clayton Jr. found Riley Kugel for a smooth layup, then Kugel followed it up with a confident triple.
Moments later, Jaylin Sellers swung the ball to Thierno Sylla, who kicked it out to Marchelus Avery-wait, scratch that. It was actually Burks who knocked down the next three, and then Devan Cambridge turned a hard drive into a three-point play the old-fashioned way.
Just like that, the Knights had built an 11-point cushion with a little over 14 minutes to play.
And they weren’t done yet.
Malik Fulks, who was in rhythm all night, buried back-to-back shots to stretch the lead to 14. At that point, UCF looked like it had full control. The ball was moving, the defense was active, and the Knights were playing with the kind of energy that makes you think they could close it out.
But West Virginia had other plans.
The Mountaineers punched back with a 13-2 run, slicing through UCF’s lead and tying the game at 56. It was a gritty stretch from WVU-forcing turnovers, crashing the glass, and hitting timely shots. Suddenly, all that momentum UCF had built was gone, and it was anyone’s game down the stretch.
The final minutes turned into a back-and-forth battle. Fulks continued to lead the way for UCF, converting a clutch three-point play in the final minute to keep the Knights within striking distance. But West Virginia executed when it mattered most, hitting their free throws late to close out a 74-67 win.
Despite the loss, Fulks put together a strong performance, finishing with 19 points and seven assists. He was the engine for UCF’s offense all night, creating off the dribble and keeping the ball moving.
Kugel added 13 points and was perfect from the free-throw line, going 5-for-5. Burks and Johnson chipped in 10 points each, with Burks also pulling down eight boards to go with his scoring.
And then there was John Bol.
The freshman big man made his presence felt in the paint, swatting a career-high five shots and adding seven points on the offensive end. His timing and rim protection gave UCF a defensive anchor, and his growth continues to be a bright spot for the Knights moving forward.
Up Next:
UCF won’t have much time to dwell on this one.
They’ll stay home and host TCU on Tuesday, Feb. 14, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+. It’s a quick turnaround, but also a chance to get back on track in front of their home crowd.