KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The University of Central Florida (UCF) Knights showcased an impressive performance led by Keyshawn Hall, who scored 23 points, spearheading four players reaching double figures in a victory against the Utah Utes. As the 14th seed, UCF dismantled the 11th-seeded Utah 87-72 in the initial round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night.
Contributions came from all quarters for the Knights (17-15), with Darius Johnson contributing 20 points, while Jordan Ivy-Curry added 15 and Moustapha Thiam finished with 14. This victory advances UCF to a challenging matchup against the sixth-seeded Kansas scheduled for Wednesday night, as they aim to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Despite Utah (16-16) taking charge early on with a 21-9 run, the Knights persistently chipped away at the lead. Hall’s pivotal 3-pointer edged UCF closer to Utah, leaving them trailing just 40-39 at halftime. UCF then launched an impressive start to the second half with a 24-3 scoring burst, propelling them to a commanding 63-43 lead with under 13 minutes remaining. This lead proved insurmountable for Utah.
Keanu Dawes stood out for the Utes, amassing 21 points. This matchup marked another defeat to UCF for Utah, the first coming on February 23, just before then-coach Craig Smith’s dismissal. Josh Eilert, having navigated West Virginia through the Big 12 Tournament as an interim coach previously, reprised this role for Utah on Tuesday. The Utes have since announced Alex Jensen’s appointment as the new head coach post-season. Jensen, noted for being part of Utah’s 1998 Final Four team, had been serving as an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks.
Takeaways from the game reflect UCF’s dominant guard play contributing significantly to their win, although the team’s underperformance in scoring inside the paint might pose a challenge, particularly considering 7-foot-1 center Hunter Dickinson and his fellow Kansas teammates await them in the next round.
For Utah, the critical second-half lapse proved costly, marked notably by ten consecutive missed field goal attempts that hindered their momentum. A defining moment in the game was Hall’s effective 3-pointer before the half that significantly boosted UCF’s morale moving into the second half.
In terms of performance stats, Utah struggled significantly with their perimeter shooting, completing only 4 of their 26 attempts from the 3-point range.
Looking ahead, UCF is set to face Kansas on Wednesday night. The Knights have a challenging task at hand, having suffered defeats against the Jayhawks in their two previous regular-season matchups.
