The Knights ignited from deep, overwhelming TCU with a fast-paced offense and clutch shooting despite a career-high from Micah Robinson.
TCU men’s basketball couldn’t recover from a fast start by UCF on Tuesday night, dropping an 82-71 decision at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando.
The Horned Frogs (16-10, 6-7 Big 12) were playing from behind almost immediately and never found the rhythm that carried them in their previous outing.
UCF (18-7, 7-6) shot the ball with confidence from the opening tip and kept the pressure on for 40 minutes.
Micah Robinson turned in the best scoring performance of his career, finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds. It marked the first time Robinson has led TCU in scoring, and he continued his recent hot streak from deep by knocking down 2-of-3 from 3-point range. He has now hit a 3-pointer in five consecutive games.
Xavier Edmonds once again delivered inside, recording his seventh double-double in the last eight games. The forward posted 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, doing all of his scoring after halftime while battling early foul trouble.
TCU’s struggles began with ball security. Four turnovers in the first four minutes allowed UCF to settle in offensively. After the game was tight early, the Knights used a 12-2 run midway through the first half to seize control. UCF shot an impressive 57.7 percent in the opening 20 minutes and built a 42-28 advantage at halftime.
The Frogs fell behind by as many as 19 points in the second half before showing signs of life with a 9-0 surge that cut the deficit to 10. However, every time TCU threatened to make it a one-possession game, UCF answered. The Knights were especially sharp at the free-throw line, converting 18-of-20 attempts (90 percent). TCU went 17-of-27 (63 percent) at the stripe.
UCF knocked down 8-of-20 from beyond the arc, led by Jordan Burks, who scored 23 points and hit five triples. TCU struggled from distance, finishing just 4-of-21 from 3-point range.
David Punch added 14 points and three assists, while Jayden Pierre and Tanner Toolson chipped in 10 points apiece.
Despite outrebounding UCF 36-34, the Horned Frogs fell to 3-5 in road games this season. TCU now returns home to host West Virginia on Saturday, aiming to regroup and regain momentum in the tightly contested Big 12 race.