Houston Cougars Dominate UCF Knights
HOUSTON (AP) — In a dominant performance, the No. 8 ranked Houston Cougars secured a 79-55 victory against the Central Florida Knights on Wednesday evening. The win marked their 17th consecutive victory at home and pushed their impressive record to 20-2 this season, including 8-1 in Big 12 play.
Key Players Shine
Key players for Houston included Kingston Flemings, who contributed significantly with 18 points and six assists, and Chris Cenac Jr., who recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The pair proved to be vital in the first half, combining for 22 points and showcasing an efficient 10-of-17 shooting.
The Cougars headed into halftime comfortably leading 33-19, having outperformed the Knights both offensively and on the boards, with a 40-29 rebound edge and 42 of their points scored in the paint.
Shooting Performance
Milos Uzan added 12 points, helping the Cougars achieve a shooting percentage of 55% overall despite struggling from beyond the arc, where they converted only 3 of 19 attempts. This win also marked the Cougars’ 11th consecutive victory against UCF, reflecting their dominance over the Knights in recent years.
UCF’s Struggles
For UCF (17-5, 6-4), Riley Kugel was the standout with nine points, but the team faced challenges, managing to hit only 31% of their shots and going 6-for-21 from three-point range. With this defeat, UCF now holds a record of 2-3 against ranked opponents this season, raising concerns about their NCAA Tournament positioning given their 4-5 record in Quad 1 matchups.
Game Highlights
The Cougars operated on a strong run in the first half, scoring 18 points over an eight-minute stretch which began with a narrow one-point lead. Their performance left UCF struggling, as they could only convert 2 of 13 shots during this critical span. Houston maintained a lead of at least ten points throughout the second half.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, UCF is set to face Cincinnati this Sunday, while Houston will travel to take on No. 16 BYU on Saturday, aiming to add to their remarkable season under head coach Kelvin Sampson, who has now guided the team to 11 consecutive 20-win seasons.
