Sparkling reserves powered UCF's win. Cambridge and Pacheco led a deep charge, outscoring opponents' bench and fueling March Madness hopes.
Saturday afternoon, UCF's bench shined in a 95-86 victory over Colorado.
The Knights (15-4, 4-3 Big 12) outscored Colorado's bench 30-15, with sixth-year senior Devan Cambridge leading the way with 11 points. Cambridge knocked down two 3-pointers, while also attacking the offensive glass for easy second-chance opportunities.
Cambridge is the most experienced player on UCF's roster and has shown versatility on offense and defense. He is also a much-improved 3-point shooter. Last season, at Texas Tech, Cambridge shot a scorching 57.1% from deep.
Junior guard Carmelo Pacheco added nine points off the pine, converting on all three of his attempts from deep. Pacheco was crucial in the Knights' first-half offense, providing a reliable kick-out option for his teammates.
This was a promising sign for Pacheco, who has been struggling to find consistent minutes. His nine points matched his combined total scoring from his last five outings.
Pacheco has shown his ability to get hot from 3-point range at times this season. Back in November, Pacheco made five long-balls against Texas A&M in UCF's 86-74 road victory.
Thanks to the Aggies late success, this win will likely be considered a quad-1 win, which could be crucial for helping UCF get back to March Madness for the first time since 2019.
Junior guard Chris Johnson cracked double-digits for the fifth time this season, scoring 10 points on four of six shooting. Johnson filled in nicely for senior Riley Kugel, who picked up two early fouls against Colorado.
Johnson has proven to be a good ball handler and has the ability to create for the offense when Kugel or fifth-year senior point guard Themus Fulks are off-ball.
UCF was without junior big man Jeremy Foumena against the Buffaloes, but he has also been a reliable bench piece for head coach Johnny Dawkins this season.
Foumena was crucial in UCF's slim 73-72 victory, playing a season-high 30 minutes after sophomore John Bol suffered an elbow injury.
Foumena showed great touch around the rim, converting 75% (6-8) of his shot attempts for 12 points. He also secured eight rebounds.
UCF will need consistent bench play down the stretch of the season to continue building a strong postseason resumé.
The Knights return home to face Arizona State Tuesday evening before another difficult two-game stretch against No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 6 Houston.
UCF will look to build momentum and roll into the match-up with the Red Raiders on a two-game win streak.