Clary's clutch performance stole senior night as UCF battled Oklahoma State in a hard-fought overtime thriller.
The Knights (20-9, 9-8 Big 12) suffered their second-straight home loss, falling 111-104 against Oklahoma State (18-12, 6-11 Big 12) in overtime Wednesday night.
UCF built an early double-digit lead in the first half, jumping out to a 23-10 advantage. However, from that point on, the Knights were outscored 35-17, trailing by five at the halftime break.
The Knights kept it close in the second half, eventually forcing overtime thanks to a step back 3-pointer from junior guard Chris Johnson. But Oklahoma State, led by junior guard Kanye Clary, outscored UCF 17-10 in the extra period, spoiling the Knights' senior night festivities.
Kanye Clary: The Knight Killer
Clary is a big part of the Cowboys No. 1 scoring bench unit in the Big 12, scoring just under 10 points per game while adding 4.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds. However, when Clary has suited up against the Black and Gold, he becomes much more dangerous.
In the two squads' first matchup, Clary dominated every facet of the game, scoring 18 points while adding nine rebounds and eight assists.
He followed this up with a season-high 23 points Tuesday night, including seven big ones in overtime. Clary was clutch at the free-throw line, making all four attempts in extra time and 7-of-8 overall.
Better First Half Defense
After holding the then-ranked No. 19 BYU Cougars to just 28 first-half points last week, UCF's defense has given up 45 or more points in each of the last two first halves. Against Baylor, the Knights surrendered a season-high 56 first half points, putting themselves in a double-digit deficit.
Against Oklahoma State, the Knights once again struggled, surrendering 45 first-half points. Much of the Cowboys' damage was done at the free-throw line, as they made 40 free-throws, while totaling just eight total assists on the night.
Usually, holding a team to under ten assists is a recipe for success, but the Cowboys opted for isolation offense and getting to the charity stripe.
What's Next?
UCF has one final opportunity to build momentum ahead of postseason play, traveling to West Virginia this Friday. The Knights squandered a double-digit second half lead against the Mountaineers in the two squads' first matchup.