Knights' offensive struggles and crucial fouls cost them again. Discover what needs fixing before the Big 12 Tournament.
The Knights (20-10, 9-9 Big 12) fell behind early once again, struggling offensively in a 77-62 loss against West Virginia (18-13, 9-9 Big 12) Friday night, completing the Mountaineers' season sweep.
UCF shot just 38% (24-63) from the field while shooting just 19% (3-16) from deep. Senior Mountaineers guard Honor Huff scored a game-high 24 points, converting on all 10 of his free throw attempts.
For the Knights, fifth-year point guard Themus Fulks and senior combo guard Riley Kugel each scored 16, but it wasn't enough offensive production.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the game and what UCF needs to do to regain momentum ahead of the Big 12 Tournament
Be More Disciplined
The Knights thrived early in the season thanks to doing the little things right. Over these past few games, UCF has somewhat reverted to early-season tendencies, committing unnecessary fouls and giving up too many free throws.
Against West Virginia, Huff was fouled on a 3-point attempt not once, but twice. This essentially handed Huff six points, as he is a high-level free throw shooter, converting on 85.6% of his attempts.
In the two squads' first matchup, Huff was fouled on a deep ball late in the game, which allowed him to gain some confidence after a rough shooting start. He has now combined for 18 free throw makes in two games against UCF, while shooting only 36.5% from the field on average.
The Knights also gave up over 40 free throws to Oklahoma State in their prior defeat. Before that, against Baylor, UCF lost on a controversial foul call on a Bears jump shooter. Fouling jump shooters has become too common for a Knights team that took care of the minute details throughout the season.
More Bench Production
When UCF has been at its best, the bench has been productive. Junior point guard Chris Johnson and junior combo guard Carmelo Pacheco had been playing well as of late, but combined for 1-of-8 shooting and just three points Friday night.
Johnson is a crucial piece for the Knights who showed his ability to carry more responsibility when Kugel went down with an ankle injury in February. He serves as the Knights' second-best playmaker and is essential when Fulks is off the floor.
However, against West Virginia, Johnson shot just 1-of-5 and notched only one assist, struggling to find a rhythm.
UCF is now tied with the Mountaineers for the eighth-best record in the conference. The Knights will either secure the final first-round bye as the No. 8 seed or have to play against the No. 16 seed as the No. 9. in the upcoming Big 12 Tournament.
The tournament begins Tuesday, March 10.
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