Knights' offense falters against No. 8 Houston's stifling defense, snapping their win streak in a lopsided defeat.
The Knights traveled to the Fertitta Center to face off with the No. 8 Houston Cougars Wednesday night. The UCF offense sputtered, as the Knights' win-streak came to a close with a 79-54 defeat.
Senior guard Riley Kugel, the Knights' leading scorer, had an off-night, scoring just nine points on inefficient 1-of-10 shooting. However, he still managed to lead UCF in scoring, who failed to produce a double-digit scorer.
Both teams got off to slow starts offensively, shooting less than 30% collectively through the first eight minutes.
The patented physical Houston defense gave the Knights fits, forcing turnovers in the gaps and holding UCF to 28% (7-25) shooting in the first half.
Houston is a top-notch defense, ranking first in the Big 12 in opponent points per game (62). The Cougars also benefit from one of the best home-court advantages in the country, winning 49 of their last 50 home games.
Neither team made a 3-pointer until over halfway through the first half, with Kugel ending the drought with less than nine minutes to play.
Houston failed to sink a deep ball, but leaned on the efficient play of freshman duo Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac Jr. Flemings led all scorers with 12 while Cenac Jr. tallied 10.
Flemings has been dynamic all season, averaging 17 points and 5.4 assists per game. He is currently a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, rising as high as top five on some draft boards. He led all scorers with POINTS.
Cenac Jr. has also been consistent, averaging 9.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. The big man finished with POINTS and REBOUNDS, securing his fourth double-double of the season.
UCF continued abysmal shooting in the second half, finishing the game FROM THE FIELD.
One of the few bright spots for UCF is the continued development of sophomore center John Bol. Bol finished with eight points and seven rebounds on perfect 4-of-4 shooting.
Bol has now made fourteen of his last sixteen field goal attempts, becoming more reliable and playing more consistent minutes as each game goes by. Junior center Jeremy Foumena missed his fourth consecutive game, leaving Bol commanding a thin frontcourt.
UCF moves onto another road trip, this time to Cincinnati. A win would mean a 2-0 season-sweep for the Knights and a big win to gather momentum for a two-game home stand.
The Knights tip off at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.