HOUSTON (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF men’s basketball team lost its fourth straight game, falling on the road at Houston by a score of 82-64 Wednesday night at Hofheinz Pavilion. Matt Williams scored 26 points for the Knights in the defeat.
UCF (14-8, 5-5 AAC) was never able to slow down Houston (16-7, 7-4 AAC) as the Cougars shot 52.8 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from three-point range. All three offensive marks – 82 points, 52.8 percent and 47.8 percent – were season bests by a Knights’ opponent.
The Knights led early on, and held a one-point lead as late as 3:05 mark in the first half, but after the Cougars’ Rob Gray scored the final bucket of the period to give Houston a 32-30 advantage at the break, UCF never regained the lead.
The Cougars took their first double-digit lead when a free throw by Kyle Meyer made it 50-40 with 12:48 to play and Houston extended it to 66-48 with an 8-0 run, capped by threes from Gray and Wes Vanbeck, to essentially put it out of reach for the Knights.
It was Damyean Dotson who UCF had the most difficulties holding down. The fifth-year senior scored a career high 31 points on 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. Gray finished with 15 and Galen Robinson, Jr. chipped in with 14 in the win.
“We were trying to take him out of the game, but he got hot,” UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins said of Dotson. “He hit some big shots, including a couple with hands in his face. He had an amazing night and that made it more difficult for us.”
Williams led the Knights with 26 points on 9-of-15 from the floor and 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. Leading scorer B.J. Taylor continued his hot scoring streak with 19 points in the defeat. Taylor also added seven rebounds and a team high four assists.
As has troubled the Knights for a majority of the season, UCF totaled 14 turnovers on the night. Houston outscored UCF 22-6 in points off turnovers and 17-3 in fast break points.
“They’re one of the best teams in our conference at turning those turnovers into baskets,” Dawkins said. “It’s hard to guard. When they turn us over out near half court, it becomes a foot race to the other basket, so we’ve got to value the ball and possessions.”
UCF will return home on Saturday to host Memphis. The Knights and Tigers are scheduled to tip-off at 5 p.m. on ESPNews. Tailgating on Memory Mall will begin at 1 p.m.
“Now we come back home,” Dawkins said. “We need to make sure we take care of our home court. We need to build momentum from there. We have our opportunities in front of us. We just need to take it one game at a time.”