UCF’s furious rally falls short in heartbreaking 87-86 loss to Baylor

UCF had nearly pulled it all the way back.

After spending most of Saturday night trying to recover from a shaky defensive first half, the Knights erased an eight-point deficit in the final four minutes and drew even with Baylor in the closing seconds. But just when it looked like overtime might be on the way inside Addition Financial Arena, the Bears made one last play.

Obi Agbim was fouled by Riley Kugel on a 3-point attempt with 1.3 seconds left, then hit the second of three free throws to give Baylor an 87-86 victory over UCF in front of an announced crowd of 8,735. The Bears improved to 15-14 overall and 5-11 in Big 12 play, while UCF fell to 20-8 and 9-7 in the league.

The ending was brutal for a UCF team that had shown plenty of fight after falling behind by as many as 15 late in the first half and by 11 with 7:48 remaining in the second. Baylor had control for long stretches, leading for more than 30 minutes of game time, but the Knights kept coming and eventually tied the game at 86-all when Devan Cambridge made two free throws with 25 seconds left. Agbim answered moments later by drawing the decisive foul.

“Well, I just saw us defending with 3.3 on the clock,” UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said. “I just wanted to make sure we had basically a helmet on the helmet, which means everybody had a man, so no one was free. We were going to just guard as hard as we could the guy that was in front of us.

“Unfortunately, we picked up the foul, and the young man made a free throw. … We have to do a better job of guarding with discipline.”

The loss spoiled what was otherwise another strong opportunity for the Knights, who entered the night fresh off road wins at Utah and BYU and looking to continue building their NCAA Tournament résumé.

Baylor seizes control in explosive first half

Feb 28, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Baylor Bears guard Tounde Yessoufou (24) goes to the basket against UCF Knights center John Bol (7) during the second half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

That bigger picture did little to ease the sting Saturday night, especially given how the game unfolded.

Baylor’s shot-making was the difference early. The Bears torched UCF in the first half, shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 8 of 15 from 3-point range while putting up 56 points before halftime. Cameron Carr was the main problem, scoring 20 of his game-high 26 points before the break on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor, 4-of-6 from 3 and 6-of-6 at the line. Isaac Williams added 12 first-half points, and Baylor closed the half with a surge to take a 56-42 lead into the locker room.

UCF had moments offensively in the opening half and even led 17-12 after a Chris Johnson 3-pointer with 12:26 remaining, but the Knights could not string together enough stops. Baylor’s ball movement and offensive rebounding repeatedly punished them. The Bears finished the night with 19 assists and 16 offensive rebounds, which turned into too many second-chance opportunities for the visitors.

“First, I give Baylor all the credit,” Dawkins said. “Baylor played terrific, especially in the first half. They set a tone offensively. They moved the basketball. I think they have, what, 19 assists. They were connecting really well, and they were knocking down shots.

“I thought we had to do a better job of giving more resistance defensively, whether it’s at the three-point line and making sure that we don’t give too many second and third shot opportunities because we end up giving them 16 offensive rebounds. So all those things add up in a game like this.”

Knights respond with another second-half push

Feb 28, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights forward Jamichael Stillwell (4) shoots against Baylor Bears guard Isaac Williams (10) during the first half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

For all the trouble UCF had in the first half, the Knights were much better after the break.

They shot 60.7 percent in the second half, outscored Baylor 44-31 over the final 20 minutes and repeatedly punched back even when the Bears seemed ready to put the game away. UCF opened the half with renewed energy and eventually put together a 10-0 run, trimming the deficit to two on multiple occasions. Later, after Baylor rebuilt an 11-point lead, the Knights answered again with an 8-0 burst and then closed with one final push to tie it.

“That’s what I’ve said all year with our guys,” Dawkins said. “They’re very competitive and they’re going to keep competing for 40 minutes… For the most part this season, I thought our guys have done a good job of fighting for UCF and giving everything they have on the floor.”

Jamichael Stillwell said UCF understood what had gone wrong during the opening 20 minutes and responded accordingly.

“It was like we knew what we was doing wrong in the first half, so we emphasized that the second half, this is the thing we need to do and we came out and did it,” Stillwell said. “I felt like if we would have just started from the beginning of the game, we wouldn’t have to worry about that.”

Kugel’s return gives UCF a needed spark

Feb 28, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights guard Riley Kugel (2) shoots against Baylor Bears guard Cameron Carr (43) during the first half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Riley Kugel’s return was a major reason why UCF had a chance.

Back after missing two games, Kugel poured in a career-high 26 points and provided the kind of offensive firepower UCF had badly missed while he was sidelined. He finished 10 of 19 from the floor, knocked down four 3-pointers and helped fuel the Knights’ late rally. He also added five rebounds and five assists.

Jamichael Stillwell, who also was not a sure thing to play until close to game time after getting hurt at BYU, finished with 11 points. Jordan Burks added 12 points and five rebounds, while Themus Fulks had 10 assists as he continued to direct UCF’s offense. John Bol also made a major impact with his rim protection and rebounding presence.

“I felt better about Riley the last day or so that he may be able to go,” Dawkins said. “But Jamichael, I didn’t know until pretty much game time that he would go. I wasn’t certain if he would be able to go. He warmed up right before the game in the last 20 minutes down. And that’s when he said he thought he could give it a go.”

Regarding Kugel’s performance, Dawkins added: “He’s a talented young player. And, of course, he’s one of our best players. … I thought he gave us everything that he had. … It was impressive because a lot of players couldn’t have done what he did tonight based on the limited reps he’s taken since the injury.”

Stillwell also pointed to Baylor’s early efficiency as the reason UCF was forced to chase the game.

“They were just making shots,” Stillwell said. “They played a good basketball game today. They were making shots, especially the first half they came out on a hot start and we wasn’t responding.”

Baylor answers every UCF rally

Feb 28, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew reacts during the second half against the UCF Knights at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Baylor, meanwhile, got exactly what it needed from its key players.

Carr finished with 26 points for the second straight game and made all 10 of his free throws. Dan Skillings Jr. added 15 points, Isaac Williams had 14 and Agbim scored 12, including the decisive free throw in the closing seconds. Freshman standout Tounde Yessoufou finished with nine points and eight rebounds while breaking Baylor’s freshman scoring record.

Scott Drew credited his team for keeping its composure when UCF surged in the second half.

“I’m proud as a coach because on the road it’s hard, but when you have a lead and then lose it, a lot of teams would crack,” Drew said. “And these guys showed great resilience, fought back, got a lead again, and then UCF, a team that’s having a great year, they answered again and just proud Obi was able to execute at the end and then us get a win.

“And whenever you get a road win in the Big 12, you’re doing something really well.”

Drew also praised Dawkins and the job UCF has done this season with a heavily reworked roster.

“That’s why me in particular, mad respect for Coach Johnny Dawkins,” Drew said. “I know he was a heck of a player, but this is an unbelievable coaching job. I’m just telling you, like, it’s really hard to do that.”

Agbim said Baylor’s poise helped the Bears survive after UCF grabbed the momentum.

“I just want to give a big shout-out to the coaching staff,” Agbim said. “I think the team really did a great job of just staying level-minded when shots weren’t falling. Usually sometimes early in the year we would fold in those moments, and I think we did a really good job of just staying together and sticking to the game plan.”

Final sequence stings as UCF looks ahead

Feb 28, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights forward Jamichael Stillwell (4) defends Baylor Bears guard Tounde Yessoufou (24) during the first half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The final moments, however, will be what linger most for UCF.

After Cambridge tied the game at 86 with two free throws, the Knights appeared to be one defensive stop away from forcing overtime. Instead, Agbim drew contact from Kugel on the perimeter with 1.3 seconds left. He missed the first free throw, made the second, then intentionally missed the third off the front rim to drain the rest of the clock.

“You know, it was a tough call,” Stillwell said. “I feel like it was a petty foul, but, you know, it’s a fight for the game, you know, it’s basketball. Can’t hold ourself on it, next play.”

For UCF, the immediate challenge now becomes regrouping quickly. The Knights still own one of the strongest résumés in program history and have now posted a second straight 20-win season under Dawkins, but Saturday’s loss was a missed opportunity to further strengthen their postseason positioning heading into the final week of the regular season.

“You know, life goes on,” Stillwell said. “We got Oklahoma State coming up next. We’re going to look at this game tomorrow, look at Oklahoma State, and move on to the next play.”

Dawkins struck a similar tone.

“The next game is the most important game that we have,” he said. “The game that’s behind you is gone.”