The Knights came out with a slow start against Tulsa and were not able to recover, giving up an 8-0 lead to the Hurricanes in conference play on Wednesday.
After a series of turnovers by UCF, sophomore Justin McBride put up 8 points for his team by going 2-2 at the free throw line and 3-for-3 in the paint. However, McBride’s efforts were not enough for UCF.
UCF’s 11 turnovers allowed the Hurricanes to stay ahead through the first half, 36-21. The Knights struggled to pick off critical rebounds in the first half, as well as keep the Hurricanes at bay when making one of their 12 fast breaks.
Head coach Donnie Jones started the second half by pairing big men Stephon Blair and Justin McBride as enforcers in the paint. The 6’9” and 6’10” players gave UCF the size advantage they needed to keep Tulsa from scoring.
“We found out what this young team could handle; we challenged them at halftime and I thought we responded the right way,” Jones said. “We were able to rebound the ball and get some stops and I thought that opened things up for our guards to go and score better in the second half.”
After UCF found their rhythm on defense, the game saw Adonys Henriquez heat up from the three-point line, drilling two back-to-back to tie the game. The performance by Henriquez rallied the crowd and had them chanting for a lead. The Knights went on an 18-3 run in that time to bring the score up to 49-49.
It would come down to the wire as the clock ticked down. With seconds on the clock, a foul by UCF turned over possession, allowing the Hurricanes to hold onto the ball for the win.
The loss puts UCF to 7-5 for the season and Tulsa at 8-5.
UCF continues conference play on Sunday, where they will face Temple at Philadelphia, at noon.
