HARTFORD – The UCF men's basketball team couldn't overcome a poor shooting night from beyond the arc and dropped its second straight game, 81-65, at UConn Wednesday evening at the XL Center.
The Knights (14-13, 5-10) connected on 26-of-54 shots from the floor (48.1%), but only knocked down two 3-pointers on 13 attempts from long distance. The 15.4 percent mark from 3-point range was UCF's third-lowest output on the season.
UConn (16-12, 7-8), which led 36-32 at halftime, outscored the Knights 45-33 in the final 20 minutes and outrebounded UCF 36-28 in the game to earn the home victory.
The Huskies used an 11-1 run early in the second half to take a 60-43 lead with 10:02 to play in the game and ultimately put it out of reach.
Veteran guard Christian Vital and forward Isaiah Whaley led UConn with 18 points each. Vital added a game-high five assists, while Whaley had a game-high 11 rebounds. Freshman James Bouknight chipped in with 16 points and seven rebounds in the victory.
It was Collin Smith leading the way for UCF in the loss, scoring 17 points and grabbing six boards. Ceasar DeJesus added 14 points and three steals, but both turned the ball over four times.
UCF will stay on the road, heading Tulsa this weekend. The Knights and the Golden Hurricane are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 29 with coverage on ESPNU and FM 96.9 The Game.
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