UCF rallies late to defeat Arizona State, 79–76

UCF erased a 12-point second-half deficit and closed the game on a furious late run to knock off Arizona State, 79-76, Tuesday night at Addition Financial Arena, continuing a familiar theme for Johnny Dawkins’ group in Big 12 play.

Riley Kugel scored 17 points, Jamichael Stillwell added 14, and Jordan Burks delivered the decisive moment, drilling a corner three with 34 seconds left and then forcing a turnover on the ensuing defensive possession as the Knights rallied from a 70-58 hole with just over six minutes remaining .

UCF (16-4, 5-3 Big 12) used a 14-2 surge to tie the game at 72 with 2:30 left, fueled by defensive stops, offensive rebounding and a renewed attack on the rim after a difficult shooting night from the perimeter. Carmelo Pacheco’s three with 1:11 to play gave the Knights their first lead since early in the second half, and Burks followed moments later with what proved to be the game-winner.

“Just proud of our guys,” Dawkins said. “They beat a very good basketball team tonight. … We had to dig deep. We’ve had to do that a number of times this year, and they’ve shown the ability to do it again.”

Big shots late, clamping down on D

Arizona State (11-10, 2-6) appeared to be in control after opening the second half on a 23-11 run, stretching its lead to 70-58 at the 6:09 mark. Maurice Odum scored 18 points to lead the Sun Devils, while Anthony Johnson added 12 and Bryce Ford chipped in 11.

The Knights, however, never panicked.

“We preach every day that there’s going to be ups and downs,” Stillwell said. “You’ve got to fight adversity and stay together. That’s what we did.”

UCF struggled mightily from three-point range early, going just 1-for-10 in the first half and 2-for-16 overall before finally breaking through late. Dawkins said that stretch tested his team’s resolve.

“You’re not going to make shots every night,” he said. “So at that point, is that going to be your excuse? Or are you going to find another way? Tonight’s a perfect example — we didn’t shoot it as well, so we had to find another way.”

That “other way” came on the glass and on the defensive end. UCF finished with a commanding 40-28 rebounding edge, including 13 offensive rebounds that led to 17 second-chance points, while also outscoring Arizona State 38-24 in the paint .

“That’s our identity — rebounding,” Stillwell said. “Hunting every rebound, hunting every loose ball, defending.”

Burks was at the center of the final sequence. After Odum hit two free throws to give Arizona State a 76-75 edge with 49 seconds left, Kugel drove and kicked to Burks in the corner. The junior guard calmly buried the three to put UCF back on top.

“I honestly didn’t even know what the score was,” Burks said. “I just knew we had to get a stop after that.”

He did exactly that, poking the ball loose from Odum on the next possession before Themus Fulks split a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining. Bryce Ford’s contested three at the buzzer came up empty, setting off a celebration inside the arena.

Fulks finished with 12 points and six assists, while John Bol provided a steady interior presence with 10 rebounds. Kugel and Stillwell each grabbed nine boards as UCF leaned heavily on its physicality to close the game.

“I think our identity does help us,” Dawkins said. “They’re gutsy. They keep competing. In this league, if you don’t have that, you can get knocked back every night.”

Next up: Space Game vs. No. 11 Texas Tech

With the win, UCF continues to stack résumé-building victories for a team looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. The Knights will have little time to enjoy it, however, as No. 11 Texas Tech comes to Orlando on Saturday for another Big 12 showdown.

“All these games are important,” Dawkins said. “Our guys battled for the full 40, and that gave us the opportunity to win tonight. Now we’ve got to take the lessons from this one and carry them forward.”