Jordan Burks stars with a career-high, home-court advantage ignites, and defensive grit sparks UCF's dominant win over TCU.
Like years past, February provided a tough stretch of games for the Knights (18-7, 7-6 Big 12). Coming into Tuesday night, UCF had dropped three in a row, the longest losing streak of the season.
However, the Knights got back to playing "UCF basketball," as head coach Johnny Dawkins and junior forward Jordan Burks had emphasized following the 74-67 loss to West Virginia.
Here are the biggest three factors for UCF getting back on the winning side.
1) A Career Night from Jordan Burks
Burks got the scoring started for the Knights, nailing a wing-three on the opening possession, forecasting a big game. The Villanova transfer went on to score a career-high 23 points while sinking five triples and bringing in a team-high seven rebounds.
Late in the first half, Burks faced up from the right corner and attacked his man baseline before snatching back for a nasty ankle breaker and sinking a step-back three.
Burks also had a strong defensive impact, notching a steal and a block while putting pressure on the TCU front court.
2) Fear the Fronds
As UCF has been accustomed too, opponents' free-throws can be tough to convert in Addition Financial Arena, especially when the palm fronds and various other memes and signs are waving in the student section.
Tuesday was a prime example of the fronds getting the job done. The Horned Frogs struggled mightily from the free-throw line, converting 17-27 (63%) of their attempts.
TCU had three empty trips, missing both attempts at the line, while also missing multiple front-ends of one-and-one opportunities.
On the other side, the Knights excelled from the charity stripe, shooting 18-20 (90%).
3) Defensive Intensity
For some teams, a losing streak can spell trouble for chemistry and comradery. However, the Knights' bench was active all night, cheering on the defensive intensity shown by UCF.
UCF held TCU to 25-60 (42%) shooting from the field, while surrendering just four 3-point makes. The Knights were also able to capitalize on TCU's mistakes, scoring 12 points off turnovers and 18 fast break points.
The Knights jumped out to a 9-2 lead, never looking back. The Horned Frogs mustered just 28 points while sophomore forward David Punch, TCU's leading scorer, got tagged with three fouls before half.
What's Next?
This was a huge rebound-win for the Knights, as TCU had been surging through the March Madness bubble. UCF is back in action this Saturday on the road against Utah (9-16, 1-11 Big 12) at 9:00 p.m.