UCF’s season ends in NCAA Tournament with 75-71 loss to UCLA

UCF’s NCAA Tournament run came to an end Friday night as the Knights fell to UCLA, 75-71, in the first round at Xfinity Mobile Arena. UCF finished the season 21-12, and while the Knights made the Bruins work deep into the second half, the early deficit, turnovers and missed free throws proved too much to overcome.

Jordan Burks did everything he could to keep UCF within striking distance, scoring a team-high 22 points and knocking down 6 of 11 from three-point range. Riley Kugel added 13 points, Jamichael Stillwell posted a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double, and Themus Fulks finished with 10 points and eight assists. But the Knights shot just 37.5 percent from the field, went 5 of 16 at the foul line and turned it over 17 times. UCLA, meanwhile, shot 40.6 percent, won the free-throw battle 13-5 and committed only eight turnovers.

Johnny Dawkins said UCLA established the tone early, especially with its activity on the defensive end.

“They disrupted some of the things we wanted to do offensively,” Dawkins said. “They were very active. They got a lot of deflections and that led them out in transition, especially in the first half.”

Bruins seized control after UCF’s fast start

UCF could not have asked for a much better opening, racing out to a 6-0 lead in the first 2:28. But UCLA quickly settled in, and the game turned once the Bruins began creating havoc with ball pressure and live-ball turnovers. By halftime, the Knights had committed 11 turnovers, and UCLA had converted those mistakes into 14 points on the way to a 35-27 lead.

The Bruins led for more than 34 minutes of the game and pushed their advantage to 14 points on multiple occasions. Eric Dailey Jr. led UCLA with 20 points, Xavier Booker added 15 points and eight rebounds, and Trent Perry also scored 15. Donovan Dent shot just 4 of 17 from the floor, but still finished with 10 points, five assists and no turnovers.

UCLA did it all without leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau, who did not play due to the knee sprain he suffered in last week’s Big Ten Tournament. He was a game-time scratch.

Dawkins said UCF’s second-half improvement with ball security helped the Knights get back into rhythm offensively.

“We really wanted to settle in the second half and take care of the ball a little bit better, which I thought we did,” Dawkins said. “That helped.”

UCF made a push, but never could fully flip the game

To the Knights’ credit, they never let the game get away. After trailing by eight at the break and later falling behind by 14 again in the second half, UCF responded with a surge that got the building buzzing and cut the margin to one possession. Burks’ shot-making, Stillwell’s work on the glass and timely perimeter shooting gave UCF repeated chances to make it a true toss-up late.

Still, every time the Knights seemed ready to fully turn the pressure on UCLA, the Bruins answered. UCF finished with 25 offensive rebounds and a 53-41 advantage on the boards, leading to a 20-9 edge in second-chance points. But UCLA hurt the Knights in transition, holding a 21-12 edge in fast-break points, and also won the points-off-turnovers battle 19-14. Those were the margins that ultimately mattered most.

The missed free throws loomed large as well. UCF’s 5-for-16 performance at the line offset much of the good work it did on the glass and from three-point range, where the Knights made 12 of 32 attempts. Burks was the biggest bright spot from deep after going without a made three over the previous four games.

Dawkins: This group helped lay the foundation

Even in defeat, Dawkins made it clear he believes this team established something meaningful for the program.

“They’ve left the foundation for what we want to build on,” Dawkins said. “When you think of the foundation being laid for us in the Big 12, you’ll think of guys like Themus Fulks, Jamichael Stillwell, Devan Cambridge, Riley Kugel, our seniors, George Beale — all of our guys that were upperclassmen that were instrumental in us doing this.”

Dawkins said the pain of the loss should become fuel moving forward.

“It’s motivation,” he said. “The foundation is laid and now how do we move forward? How do we get better? We don’t want to stay the same.”

Players reflect on a group that stayed together

After the game, Kugel said he hopes this team is remembered for how it navigated adversity and stayed connected all year.

“A team that battled through ups and downs, that persevered through no matter what critics, media said, preseason polls,” Kugel said. “Just 13 individuals that came together who kind of had one goal.”

Burks echoed that sentiment and said this group helped establish a standard for the years ahead.

“We’re competitors,” Burks said. “We made a platform for the years to come to show them what it takes and what we need to do more.”

Burks, who made one of the biggest individual jumps on the roster this season, also credited Dawkins and the staff for his development.

“The whole staff, Coach Dawkins, they pour into you, off the court, on the court, it doesn’t really matter,” Burks said. “They molded me into a nice young man. I feel like they gave me a chance and I just took the opportunity and capitalized as much as I possibly could.”

Both Burks and Kugel also pointed to the fan support Friday night, saying UCF’s crowd helped energize the comeback attempt.

“The whole gym was rocking,” Kugel said. “It definitely boosted us and we fed off their energy.”

In the end, though, UCF spent too much of the night chasing. The Knights had their chances, and they made UCLA sweat, but they never fully escaped the hole created by the first half.

March does not leave much room for error, and on a night when UCF missed 11 free throws and gave away too many live-ball possessions, the season ended four points short.