UCF Men's Basketball Secures Overtime Victory Over Cincinnati UCF men’s basketball staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Cincinnati 66-65 in overtime during the second round of the Big 12 Tournament at T-Mobile Center. The Knights, who held a brief 5-minute lead early in the game, erased a 19-point deficit in the second half to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since joining the conference. The victory marked UCF’s 21st win of the season, their highest total under head coach Johnny Dawkins since the 2018-19 campaign. Cincinnati began strongly, building a 9-2 lead in the first 16 minutes and extending it to 19-9 by the eighth minute of the second half. The Knights struggled to find their rhythm, going scoreless for over five minutes before Chris Johnson hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two. However, the Bearcats maintained control with their sharp shooting, draining back-to-back three-pointers to push their lead to 19-9. UCF’s defense stepped up, forcing three turnovers in a two-minute span to halt Cincinnati’s momentum. A layup by Jamichael Stillwell gave the Knights their first lead since the opening minutes, 22-21, but Cincinnati retook the advantage by halftime, leading 27-26. The second half saw both teams struggle to score consistently. Cincinnati extended its lead to seven points, 39-32, by the 13:22 mark, but UCF’s resilience shone through. After falling into a 12-point deficit, the Knights launched a 14-7 run sparked by Jordan Burks’ dunk, trimming the gap to 58-56 with 1:17 remaining. Stillwell added six points during the surge, setting the stage for overtime. Riley Kugel tied the game at 58-58 with a late layup, forcing the extra session. In overtime, Stillwell opened the scoring with a layup, and UCF’s defense held Cincinnati’s offense in check.#t_mobile_center #cincinnati #big_12_tournament #ucf_men_s_basketball #johnny_dawkins
