UCF brushes off slow start to pull out thrilling win over Colorado

Written by Fort Lauderdale Mortgage Syndicated User on January 9, 2025. Posted in College Sports, Fort Lauderdale Mortgage, Fort Lauderdale Mortgage Rates, Latest Headlines, Sports, UCF Knights.

For 30 minutes Wednesday night, UCF basketball looked like a team suffering from whiplash.

Three days removed from an embarrassing 51-point home loss to Kansas on Sunday, the Knights looked out of sorts. But a surge in the final 10 minutes helped them surge past visiting Colorado, 75-74.

Dallan Coleman’s free throw, which capped the scoring with 35 seconds remaining, helped to lift UCF (11-3, 2-1 Big 12) to the win.

It’s the second consecutive win over the Buffaloes for the Knights, who beat CU 79-74 in the National Invitation Tournament on March 15, 2017.

UCF guard Keyshawn Hall (middle) loses the ball during the Colorado at UCF NCAA basketball game in Orlando on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. UCF won the game 75-74.(Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

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UCF guard Keyshawn Hall (middle) loses the ball during the Colorado at UCF NCAA basketball game in Orlando on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. UCF won the game 75-74.(Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

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Colorado (9-5, 0-3 Big 12) has dropped three straight games and remains winless in conference play in its first season back in the Big 12 since 2011.

It was a miserable start for UCF, which missed its first 10 shot attempts, including five misses on one possession and didn’t score its first points until nearly 5 minutes into the game when Jordan Ivy-Curry’s floater from the free-throw line banged into the basket.

Curry would carry the Knights, scoring the team’s first seven points before Darius Johnson added a pair of free throws.

Colorado, meanwhile, took a page from Kansas’ playbook and attacked the middle, scoring six of their first 11 points in the paint.

UCF took its first game lead (12-11) on a skyhook by center Moustapha Thiam at the 12:36 mark. Thiam followed it up with a block of Buffaloes guard Julian Hammond III, which led to a 3-pointer by Ivy-Curry.

The teams traded runs before Colorado grabbed a 37-34 halftime advantage.

The Knights went more than four minutes at the end of the half without a field goal.

Colorado shot 50% (10 of 20) from the field in the first half and were 14 of 18 from the free throw line.

The Buffaloes opened the second half on fire, connecting on seven of their first eight shots and using a 16-10 run to push their lead to nine at 53-44 with 14:38.

But the Knights started chipping away with a 12-5 run that cut the lead to 58-56 with 9:34 left.

Darius Johnson went down hard onto the court while trying to defend against CU’s Assane Diop and was called for a foul. After a video review, the foul stood and Diop was assigned a flagrant foul.

Ivy-Curry, who shot the two free throws for the injured Johnson, tied the game at 58.

The Knights took their first lead since the 12:02 mark in the first half at 60-58 before both teams traded baskets.

Keyshawn Hall, Ivy-Curry and Johnson helped spark the second-half comeback by scoring 33 of UCF’s 41 points.

The Knights went nearly 4 minutes without a field goal but still managed to tie the game at 74 with 1:05 left.

Colorado missed a shot and Dallan Coleman was fouled while rebounding the ball.

He missed the first free throw and hit the second, giving UCF a 75-74 lead with under 30 seconds.

The Buffaloes missed on a 3-point attempt, but the Knights were called for a 5-second violation on the inbounds play with 4 seconds left. Colorado’s Elijah Monroe’s shot at the buzzer was blocked by Johnson, preserving the victory.

Matt Murschel can be reached at moc.lenitnesodnalro@lehcsrumm

UP NEXT

UCF at Arizona

10 p.m., Saturday, McKale Memorial Center (Tucson)

TV: ESPN

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