The Knights had trouble scoring out of the gate against the No. 5 ranked team. Despite the early offensive struggles, the defense held Texas to 5-of-14 from the field. The Longhorns used an 8-0 run to take a 10-2 lead with 4:59 left in the quarter. Back-to-back triples by Peterson broke a five-minute scoring drought and pulled the Black and Gold within two. Texas led 16-14 at the end of the first quarter.
The Longhorns built a double-digit lead as 10 UCF turnovers piled up, leading to 15 points for Texas in the second quarter alone. The Longhorns outscored UCF 23-4 in the quarter, sending the Knights into halftime down 39-18.
Facing an uphill battle, UCF began the second half making four of its first six shots and forcing a turnover in the early minutes. Ware gave UCF a boost, coming off the bench to score 14 points in the third quarter on 5-for-7 shooting.
The Knights forced Texas into five turnovers but the Longhorns remained efficient, shooting 76.9 percent in the third quarter. In the final minute of the third, Ware made back-to-back jumpers, cutting the Knights deficit to 15. The Knights outscored Texas 25-22, heading into the fourth down 61-43.
UCF was unable to mount a comeback as the Longhorns’ offensive excellence continued into the final frame. Texas held strong onto its lead by making seven straight shots to start the quarter, defeating UCF 87-56.
Looking forward to Senior Knight, UCF will look to get back in the win column on Wednesday, Feb. 28 in its final home game against Kansas at Addition Financial Arena. Tipoff is set for 6 pm.
