With its top scorer sidelined due to foul trouble and its postseason hopes hanging in the balance, UCF basketball found itself in an untenable situation.
Even down four players, including leading scorer Keyshawn Hall — who missed most of the first half in foul trouble — the Knights managed to keep the game close against visiting BYU before eventually falling 81-75
Hall picked up two quick fouls and then was assessed a technical foul at the 13:26 mark in the first half after arguing with officials. The junior entered the game averaging 18 points per game and was coming off a 34-point performance in the team’s 91-87 loss at No. 11 Kansas on Tuesday.
Fueled by the call, UCF went on a 12-3 run that pushed the Knights to their first lead.
Center Moustapha Thiam scored 10 first-half points, highlighted by a dunk and a short hook shot that helped extend UCF’s lead to 40-38 at the half.
Thiam would play a pivotal role in the second half, scoring seven straight points, grabbing 4 rebounds and blocking two shots in the first 10 minutes after BYU went on an 8-0 run to retake the lead.
But the Cougars would go on a 15-10 run in the final five minutes to hang on for the win.
Richie Saunders scored 22 points and was 6 of 9 from the 3-point line.
Hall finished with 18 of his 20 points in the second half. Thiam had 17 points and Darius Johnson added 16.
The Knights were again without the services of guard Jaylin Sellers, who has been out of the lineup most of the season with an undisclosed injury. Sellers missed the first half of the season and returned for three games but hasn’t seen any action since Jan. 5.
Guard Mikey Williams and forward JJ Taylor were also absent with undisclosed illnesses.
UCF (13-8, 4-6 Big 12) has dropped two straight games for the third time this season and the first time since losing to No. 10 Houston (69-68) and No. 3 Iowa State (108-83) on Jan. 18 and Jan. 21.
BYU (15-6, 6-4 Big 12) wins its fourth consecutive game and continues its hardwood dominance over the Knights, winning all four meetings in the series.
“We know where we are in our season,” said BYU coach Kevin Young. “We let a couple of games go early in the year that we felt were right there for us. Our guys stayed the course. But we know that we have work to do, and this was a step in the right direction for that against a good team that’s well coached.”
The loss dampened the Knights’ postseason hopes.
Several bracketology projections indicated that the UCF was on the NCAA Tournament bubble heading into Saturday’s game. CBS Sports listed them as a 10th seed and ESPN named them the last team in the 68-team field.
Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com
UP NEXT
UCF vs. Cincinnati
7 p.m., Wednesday, Addition Financial Arena
TV: CBS Sports Network