Play started slowly Wednesday night, as neither team was able to find their offensive rhythm. The teams traded points, with Oklahoma State holding a two-point edge at 9-7 with just under six minutes run off the clock. Despite that, the Cowboys got their footing first, knocking down a pair of layups and forcing five UCF turnovers in a three-minute stretch to take their largest lead of the half 16-9 with 12:53 left to play in the first.
A pair of triples from Nils Machowski and Johson found the offensive spark for the Knights and tied the game up at 16-16 with 10:16 left on the clock. Back-to-back buckets from Moustapha Thiam solidified a 9-0 run and marked five consecutive field goals for the Knights to lend them the upper hand with just over eight to play at 22-18.
The Cowboys kept on the Knights' heels, taking the lead back from the free throw line 23-22 at the seven-minute mark. From there, the teams traded buckets keeping a three-point pace from one another until an Oklahoma State jumper pushed them up by four at 31-27 with 3:21 left in the half. Although the Black and Gold snuck in a few buckets by the half-time buzzer, the Cowboys had extended their lead to seven with 31 seconds left at 40-33. A tip-in dunk stuffed in by JJ Taylor ended the half, sending the Knights into the locker room trailing 40-35.
A sluggish start to the second half plagued the Knights. Only able to knock down two points in the first four minutes coupled with a Cowboy 7-0 to start the half put UCF in its largest hole of the night at 47-37 with 17:56 left to go. A six-point tear from Keyshawn Hall set the Knights back on track with just over 16 minutes left to play at 47-43. Continuing the push, Johnson knocked down seven points in a two-minute stretch knotting the game at 52-52 at 12:20. The effort proved fruitful as an and-one from Dallan ‘Deebo’ Coleman secured the Knight’s first lead since the four-minute mark in the first half at 56-54 with 10:56 left on the board.
