Cincinnati suffocated UCF's star guard and unleashed an unexpected offensive explosion in a dominant blowout victory over the Knights.
The UCF Knights (17-6, 6-5 Big 12) suffered their first Quad 2 loss of the season against the Cincinnati Bearcats (12-12, 4-7 Big 12), and it was very uncharacteristic.
Cincinnati ties the season series 1-1 after blowing out the Knights with all of the starters scoring in double figures and the defense forcing its opponent to take highly contested shots.
UCF has five days of rest until its next matchup against the West Virginia Mountaineers (15-9, 6-5 Big 12) on Saturday at the Addition Financial Arena. As the long break starts, here are some key takeaways from last Sunday's loss.
CINCINNATI SHUTS DOWN THEMUS FULKS
Fulks is UCF's facilitator, averaging 6.8 assists per game, and is an efficient scorer inside and outside the three-point line. However, the Bearcats held him scoreless, and their defense forced him to have as many turnovers as assists.
Coach Johnny Dawkins complimented Cincinnati's defensive activity, disrupting his lead guard's rhythm and taking him out of the game.
"They had awareness of where he was," Dawkins said. "They had a game plan to try to limit what he did, and I thought they did a good job."
Sunday's game was the first time Fulks had zero points since Nov. 30, 2023, when he was a part of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns who lost 88-65 to the Samford Bulldogs.
BEARCATS' OUTLIER OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE
Heading into their second matchup of the season, the Bearcats were the worst shooting team in the Big 12 overall and from three-point range. They shot 41.7% from the field and 30.4% from beyond the arc.
Against UCF, their offense was scorching hot, shooting 59% from the field and 61% from three. Cincinnati's efficiency led to a 14-2 run heading into halftime and a 9-0 run to close the comeback door on the Knights.
All of the starters scored in double figures as well: Forward Baba Miller (17 points), center Moustapha Thiam (15 points) and guards Jizzle James (15 points), Day'Day Thomas (11 points) and Jalen Celestine (14 points).
CHRIS JOHNSON LEADS KNIGHTS LATE RALLY
Dawkins substituted Fulks with Johnson off the bench, and his 16 points and six assists helped UCF claw back into the game. He made timely threes and converted tough layups to cut into Cincinnati's lead.
Johnson's 16 points mark the sixth time he's scored over 10 points coming off the bench. Dawkins praised Johnson's performance in his post-game press conference and is excited to see him grow.
"Really happy for Chris," Dawkins said. "I thought he did a great job. Gave us a good lift with his energy. Came off the bench, came off ready and [I'm] just happy to see him continue to develop in our system."