Written By Taylor Bonin
![Picture](/uploads/9/3/9/9/9399298/5987704.jpg?357)
Orlando, FL - Pat Birt scored 26 points to lead the Golden Hurricane to a 75-67 victory over the UCF Knights at CFE Arena in Orlando. Chance McSpadden & Daiquan Walker combined for 28 points to lead UCF.
Knights got off to a rough start in the first half, despite scoring the first buckets of the game. They only led 3 times the entire game, all of which came in the first 4 minutes.
With 8:48 left to play in the first half, UCF was trailing Tulsa 13 to 16. That's when the Golden Hurricane went on a 9-point scoring run, giving them their first double-digit lead of the game.
By halftime, Tulsa had pulled out to a 14 point lead bringing the score to 36-22 as both teams headed into the locker room. Matt Williams led the Knights with 11 points at the half. Tulsa's leading scorer Pat Birt had 16 points at the half.
UCF came out in the second half with a lot of energy, matching Tulsa shot for shot in the first 4 minutes. With 15:01 left to play in the second half, AJ Davis drilled a 3-point shot igniting a 12-3 run by the Knights.
With 12:15 left in the game, UCF had cut Tulsa's lead to just 3 points. The Knights maintained their momentum and with 7:46 left in regulation Tulsa was only leading 56-54.
As time winded down that momentum faded, with Tulsa extending their lead to 10 points with 1:32 left on the clock. The Knights continued to fight back, but in the end, it was too little too late.
With the loss, UCF falls to an 11-14 record on the year, with a 5-9 record in conference play.
After the game, UCF head coach Donnie Jones spoke on the team's ability to grow moving forward, "We build on tonight, pick these guys up, dust them off, and go back to work."
The Knights will look to regroup and bounce back, as Houston comes to town Wednesday night, February 24th . Tip-off is set for 7pm and the game will be telecast on ESPNU.
Knights got off to a rough start in the first half, despite scoring the first buckets of the game. They only led 3 times the entire game, all of which came in the first 4 minutes.
With 8:48 left to play in the first half, UCF was trailing Tulsa 13 to 16. That's when the Golden Hurricane went on a 9-point scoring run, giving them their first double-digit lead of the game.
By halftime, Tulsa had pulled out to a 14 point lead bringing the score to 36-22 as both teams headed into the locker room. Matt Williams led the Knights with 11 points at the half. Tulsa's leading scorer Pat Birt had 16 points at the half.
UCF came out in the second half with a lot of energy, matching Tulsa shot for shot in the first 4 minutes. With 15:01 left to play in the second half, AJ Davis drilled a 3-point shot igniting a 12-3 run by the Knights.
With 12:15 left in the game, UCF had cut Tulsa's lead to just 3 points. The Knights maintained their momentum and with 7:46 left in regulation Tulsa was only leading 56-54.
As time winded down that momentum faded, with Tulsa extending their lead to 10 points with 1:32 left on the clock. The Knights continued to fight back, but in the end, it was too little too late.
With the loss, UCF falls to an 11-14 record on the year, with a 5-9 record in conference play.
After the game, UCF head coach Donnie Jones spoke on the team's ability to grow moving forward, "We build on tonight, pick these guys up, dust them off, and go back to work."
The Knights will look to regroup and bounce back, as Houston comes to town Wednesday night, February 24th . Tip-off is set for 7pm and the game will be telecast on ESPNU.