Written by Francisco Vera.
UCF (15-4) wins big on the road against the Colorado Buffaloes (12-8) with the score of 95-86. The Knights displayed a masterclass from three as they shot 15/24 from beyond the arc.
The Knights were looking to bounce back after their two-game gauntlet vs #1 Arizona and #9 Iowa State, the latter of which included a disappointing 30-point loss against the Cyclones.
To start this game, UCF quickly found themselves down by seven and seemed lost on the court. However, they would slowly get some buckets, and by the first media timeout, the score was 7-12 in favor of the Buffaloes.
Back from the timeout, Carmelo Pacheco hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two points, but Colorado extended their lead after two quick buckets. The Knights would get hot from three, but struggled on defense.
The Buffaloes would capitalize on this and attack the paint, increasing their lead to eight points. UCF would continue to be blazing from beyond the arc, and with about three minutes left in the first half, they would have their first lead of the game.
For the rest of the first half, the Knights would step up their game and remain with the lead until the buzzer. UCF led the Buffaloes 49-47 at halftime.
Coming back from halftime, Themus Fulks would score four quick points to get the momentum going in favor of the Knights. Colorado would get some buckets, but UCF would keep their lead as the first media timeout of the half would be called.
As the clock was under the 10-minute mark, the Knights were up by 13, and they showed no signs of stopping. They were 14/23 from three at this point, looking to add more.
After the under-eight media timeout, UCF continued to dominate, reaching a game-high 15-point lead. The Buffaloes would reduce the deficit to nine and would begin to apply a full-court press. The Knights were unfazed and would bump their lead back to 11.
In the last three minutes of the game, Colorado stepped up its offense and cut the UCF lead to six. However, a Riley Kugel three would play a crucial part in icing the game for the Knights.
The final score from the CU Events Center was 95-86 in favor of UCF. The Knights improve to 15-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play, and the Buffaloes drop to 12-8 overall and 2-5 in conference play.
Leading both teams in scoring was UCF’s Riley Kugel with 22 points. For Colorado, Sebastian Rancic led the scoresheet with 20.
Up next, UCF returns home to Addition Financial Arena as they take on the Arizona State Sun Devils on January 27th with a 7:00 p.m. scheduled tipoff time.
