UCF will ride the momentum of a big second half in its Big 12 tournament opener into a second-round matchup against sixth-seeded Kansas on Wednesday.
The 14th-seeded Knights (17-15) trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half against Utah on Tuesday but emerged with an 87-72 win. UCF’s Keyshawn Hall scored 23 points, including 17 in the second half.
Besides Hall, the Knights received 20 points from Darius Johnson, 15 from Jordan Ivy-Curry, and 14 points and 11 rebounds from Moustapha Thiam.
“I’m just proud of our guys for battling,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. “We got off to a slow start and we had to battle back, which says a lot about our guys. I’m really proud of our guys’ effort.
“I think it may have been one of the best second halves we’ve had all season long. I thought our guys really played efficient basketball offensively, and I thought the defense was outstanding.”
The Knights’ next opponent is enduring an atypical season, as Kansas (20-11) enters the Big 12 tournament unranked for the first time in 22 seasons under coach Bill Self. The Jayhawks saw a 80-week streak of being ranked end last month after a stretch in which they went 4-5.
Kansas swept the teams’ two regular-season meetings, beating the Knights 99-48 on Jan. 5 in Orlando and 91-87 on Jan. 28 in Lawrence, Kan.