Houston has built a reputation for having one of the most formidable defenses in college basketball, earning a comparison to junkyard dogs on the defensive front.
It’s helped the Cougars over the years, winning back-to-back conference titles (2021-22) and qualifying for the NCAA tournament every year since 2018, and UH made it to the Final Four in 2021.
As UCF began preparing for Saturday’s matchup, the Knights knew they would have to match Houston’s physicality and play with a purpose if they hoped to snap a 9-game losing streak in the series and earn a second win over a Top 25 team.
“We’re super hungry for this,” senior guard Darius Johnson said earlier in the week.
That hunger was evident from the opening tip as UCF jumped out to an early lead, but the Knights could not hang on as No. 10 Houston pulled out a 69-68 win on Saturday.
J’Wan Roberts’ layup with 1.1 seconds left lifted the Cougars (14-3, 6-0 Big 12) to their 10th straight win. Roberts finished with a game-high 21 points.
UCF (12-5, 3-3 Big 12) last defeated Houston on March 2, 2019.
Center Moustapha Thiam, who missed the Knights’ last game against Arizona State, returned with a vengeance, scoring a career-high 18 points. Jordan Ivy-Curry had 14 points and Johnson added 13.
Initially, UCF was aggressive on the defensive front, holding Houston to 1-of-7 shooting from the floor, allowing the Knights to grab an early 9-4 advantage. That advantage grew to 11 points thanks to the play of Thiam and Ivy-Curry.
Fresh off his 40-point performance against the Sun Devils, Keyshawn Hall struggled to get anything going, especially as Houston double-teamed him. Hall started 0-for-8 before finishing with 6 points on 2-of-12 shooting, and his layup with 9 seconds left gave UCF a brief lead before Roberts’ game-winning shot.
UCF held Houston to just 33% (12 of 36) shooting in the first half while building a 38-30 halftime lead. It was the first time the Cougars trailed at the half this season.
UH opened the second half with a 9-0 run to grab its first lead at 39-38 with 16:20 to go as the Cougars attacked the offensive boards.
Houston went on a 16-4 run late in the second half.
This was the perfect opportunity for a statement game for UCF.
The following 10 days were a crucial juncture for the Knights, who faced Houston prior to traveling to No. 2 Iowa State (Tuesday) and then back to host TCU (Jan. 25) before hitting the road to take on No. 9 Kansas (Jan. 28).
The Knights entered the weekend among Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections, with the Big 12 earning eight possible spots behind the SEC (11) and Big Ten (11).
UCF guard Jaylin Sellers missed his fourth straight game while dealing with an undisclosed lower back issue. Sellers has appeared in just three games this season.
New UCF football coach Scott Frost was introduced during a timeout in the first half, drawing a raucous reception from the sellout crowd.
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com
UP NEXT
UCF at No. 2 Iowa State
8 p.m., Tuesday, Hilton Coliseum (Ames, Iowa)
TV: ESPN+