UCF rallies past Cincinnati in OT, all but seals NCAA Tournament berth

UCF spent most of Wednesday afternoon looking like a team in danger of seeing its season slip away.

Instead, the Knights found a way to save it.

Down eight points with just over two minutes left in regulation, eighth-seeded UCF stormed back, forced overtime and escaped with a 66-65 win over ninth-seeded Cincinnati in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City at the T-Mobile Center.

The victory improved Johnny Dawkins’ club to 21-10 and sent the Knights into Thursday’s quarterfinal against top-seeded Arizona, while also delivering the kind of résumé-securing win UCF badly needed entering Selection Sunday.

It was anything but pretty. UCF shot just 25-of-74 from the field, went 3-of-24 from 3-point range and made only 13-of-23 free throws. But the Knights owned the glass 49-46, doubled Cincinnati in points in the paint 38-10 and held a 17-3 edge in second-chance points, enough to survive a game in which they trailed for 33:56 and by as many as 12 in the second half.

“I mean it was a great game. Hats off to Cincinnati,” Dawkins said. “I thought they did a great job. I thought our guys had to fight back on numerous occasions and I thought they were able to do it.

“But this team has done this all season long. Just their competitive spirit, it showed in the summer, it showed up again tonight. Just their will to win.”

For a UCF team that entered the day squarely on the bubble after three straight losses, the result felt enormous. The Knights came into Kansas City with five Quad 1 wins and a Wins Above Bubble figure of 1.74, numbers that already had them hovering around the projected NCAA field. Wednesday’s win likely moved them from uneasy bubble territory to much firmer ground, putting UCF in position for what would be its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2019, and another milestone for Dawkins’ program.

Stillwell sets the tone inside

Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; UCF Knights forward Jamichael Stillwell (4) shoots the ball in front of Cincinnati Bearcats guard Keyshuan Tillery (7) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

Jamichael Stillwell delivered one of his biggest performances of the season at the right time.

The senior forward finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds in nearly 33 minutes, including six offensive boards, as UCF repeatedly leaned on him to manufacture offense around the rim when perimeter shots refused to fall. It marked another double-double for Stillwell, who entered the tournament with seven on the year and ranked among the Big 12’s top offensive rebounders.

Stillwell also helped anchor the final push, scoring during the late regulation comeback and again in overtime as UCF tried to fend off Cincinnati guard Day Day Thomas, who scored all seven of the Bearcats’ overtime points.

“You know, coach been preaching a lot on getting on the defensive side,” Stillwell said. “Our shots not gonna fall every night. So we got to do something that don’t involve shooting.”

That mindset proved essential. UCF, which entered the postseason as one of the Big 12’s better 3-point shooting teams at 37.8 percent, never found a rhythm from deep against Cincinnati’s defense. So the Knights turned the game into a grind, attacking the paint, crashing the offensive glass and making life difficult for the Bearcats late with pressure defense.

A frantic finish changes everything

Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; UCF Knights forward Jordan Burks (99) and UCF Knights guard Themus Fulks (1) react after the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

With 2:16 remaining in regulation, UCF trailed 58-50 and looked headed for a damaging loss.

Instead, Stillwell scored in the lane to start the rally. Cincinnati then coughed the ball up on three straight possessions as UCF ratcheted up the pressure. Jordan Burks and the Knights disrupted the Bearcats in the full court, and Riley Kugel eventually tied the game at 58 with a driving layup with one minute left. Cincinnati failed to execute on its final possession of regulation, taking a timeout with just 0.8 seconds remaining before missing a final 3-point try.

Dawkins credited UCF’s defensive adjustment for flipping the game.

“We’re a multiple defensive playing team, so we can always change strategies throughout the game,” Dawkins said. “And we felt down by 8, coming down the stretch, we needed to do more in the full court, we needed to do more pressing to see if we couldn’t speed them up, see if we couldn’t get some turnovers. And fortunately we were able to do that.

“I thought some guys made some big plays in the press. Jordan Burks up front, very long and active. I think he disrupted a lot of things in the full court for us.”

That stretch was the game. UCF finished with seven steals, forced 19 Cincinnati turnovers and turned those miscues into 20 points. The Knights were shaky offensively all afternoon, but their activity and length eventually wore down a Bearcats team that had entered the day having won seven of its previous nine games and playing some of its best basketball of the season.

Kugel, Bol and Fulks help UCF survive overtime

Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; UCF Knights guard Themus Fulks (1) UCF Knights center John Bol (7) and UCF Knights forward Jordan Burks (99) react at the end of overtime against the Cincinnati Bearcats at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

Once the game reached overtime, UCF finally made just enough plays.

John Bol scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Kugel added 15 points despite a difficult 1-of-4 day from beyond the arc. UCF scored the first four points of overtime and eventually built a 66-62 lead before Thomas hit a late 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one. The Bearcats had an opportunity for one last chance, but Jamichael Stillwell intentionally missed the second of two late free throws and Cincinnati could not grab a clean rebound.

Themus Fulks had a relatively quiet scoring game by his standards with four points on 2-of-9 shooting, but the UCF point guard still handed out seven assists and helped settle the Knights in key moments. He entered the tournament ranked second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally in assists per game while already holding UCF’s single-season assists record.

“Yeah, we just hang our hat on defense,” Fulks said. “And we know defense wins championships.”

Fulks also made sure to highlight Stillwell afterward.

“I told him, just be yourself out there,” Fulks said. “He’s an anchor on defense. He’s important on offense. They can’t just key in on me, Riley, Burks, or J-Mike’s going to explode for a night like this.

“I’m glad he’s getting his flowers on the biggest stage.”

Cincinnati’s season likely comes to a close

Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats coach Wes Miller reacts to game play during the second half against the UCF Knights at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

The loss was a crushing one for Cincinnati, which appeared to have UCF on the ropes before its late unraveling.

The Bearcats got 18 points and 16 rebounds from former UCF center Moustapha Thiam, 15 points from Thomas and 11 from Jalen Celestine. Cincinnati also shot far better from 3-point range than UCF, finishing 11-of-26 from deep, but turnovers and UCF’s work on the glass ultimately proved too much to overcome. Baba Miller, one of the Big 12’s most productive all-around forwards this season, was held to four points on 0-of-6 shooting, though he still grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out four assists.

“Just absolutely heartbroken for them,” Cincinnati coach Wes Miller said. “We did not play our best basketball today. Again, the turnovers were certainly a factor, but we were in position to win the game. And that says a lot about this team’s character.”

Miller made the case afterward that Cincinnati still looked like an NCAA Tournament-caliber team based on how the Bearcats had played over the final two months. But he also acknowledged the obvious reality: this one hurt.

“If it’s about the best teams at this point, we’re one of the best teams in the country. Like, we’re an NCAA tournament team.

“If it’s about overall resume, I’m sure that you can make some arguments that we’re not, but I think we’ve won seven out of our last 10 Big 12 games.

“When’s the last time somebody won seven out of 10 in the Big 12 and didn’t play in the NCAA tournament? Honestly. Like, we won seven out of 10 in this league, including a 20-point win on the road at Kansas.

“I certainly feel that we belong. I know tonight would have helped, but it wasn’t like we got run out of the gym tonight.

“I mean, we have a three or four-possession lead there late in the game. So, again, if it’s about the best teams, I do believe we’d be in the field. But again, I don’t pretend to understand what goes on, so certainly we’ll hold out hope.

“But I realize tonight was difficult. I think everybody in our locker room understands that.”

Now comes Arizona

UCF’s reward is a quick turnaround against the top seed.

The Knights will face Arizona in Thursday’s quarterfinals at 3 p.m. EST on ESPN. The Wildcats beat UCF 84-77 in Orlando on Jan. 17.

Dawkins said the focus now shifts immediately.

“I know they’re a terrific team. They’ve had a great season,” Dawkins said. “And I know when we leave here, we have to start preparing for them.

“But very talented, again, well coached. And so like all the teams in the Big 12, we have to make sure we go do our homework and study up on as fast as we can.”

Whatever happens against Arizona, Wednesday’s win may have already accomplished what UCF needed most.

The Knights didn’t play well. They didn’t shoot well. For long stretches, they looked finished.

But in March, survival counts too. And for UCF, this one may have punched its ticket.