Knights dominate BYU wire-to-wire, unleashing season-high first-half scoring and a scorching shooting performance to secure their 20th victory.
The Knights (20-7, 9-6 Big 12) capped off a two-game road trip with a late-night affair against No. 19 Brigham Young University (BYU), dominating in a wire-to-wire 97-84 victory.
UCF jumped out to an early 20-6 start, moving the ball and knocking down 3-pointers. Junior forward Jordan Burks made three long balls in this stretch, while the Knights recorded nine assists on their first 11 made shots.
This hot shooting continued, as UCF poured in a season-high 52 points in the first half while handing the Cougars (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) their largest halftime deficit in over four years. The Knights shot a scorching 11-of-16 (69%) from distance in the half, while holding freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa and sophomore point guard Robert Wright III to 10 points (4-12) and 4 points (1-9) respectively.
The announcers on call, Mike Monaco and Miles Simon, said it was "as impressive a half as any team in college basketball this year."
UCF led 52-28 at the break.
Sophomore center John Bol came out of halftime looking to be aggressive, scoring the first six points after the break and extending UCF's lead to 30. Bol immediately forced BYU head coach Kevin Young to burn a timeout after a floater from the restricted area and two emphatic slams.
Fifth-year senior point guard Themus Fulks and Burks scored 24 each to lead the Knights' scoring effort. Fulks added eleven assists, with his tenth breaking a piece of UCF history.
Fresh off a third Big 12 Starting Five Honor, Fulks picked up his record-breaking dime in the second half, notching assist No. 184 - the most by a UCF player in a single season.
UCF would grow the lead to as many as 36, at one point doubling up BYU 70-35. The Cougars amped up the pressure, picking up UCF full court and beginning to cut into their large deficit. But, the Knights managed to fend off BYU's runs, holding onto a double-digit lead.
Reserve guards Chris Johnson, George Beale Jr. and Carmelo Pacheco, continued to play great minutes in senior guard Riley Kugel's absence. Johnson served as a secondary ball handler alongside Fulks, dropping four dimes and nailing 3 3-pointers. Pacheco and Beale combined for another five makes from deep, combining for 16 points. Kugel missed his second consecutive game after suffering an injury late in the Knights' victory over TCU.
Senior forward Jamichael Stillwell also impressed, scoring 12 points and adding 11 rebounds. Stillwell also had great vision in the post, finding open shooters on the perimeter for open looks and racking up six assists. Unfortunately, Stillwell was injured in the second half, returning to UCF's bench with a boot on his right foot.
This win marks the Knights' fifth quadrant-1 victory, securing back-to-back 20-win seasons. UCF jumped up to an eight seed on CBS Sports' updated bracket predictions, placing the Knights firmly within March Madness for the time being.
UCF returns home to face Baylor (14-14, 4-11 Big 12) this Saturday at 8:00 p.m.
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