Men's Hoops Tops Oakland, 87-83Men's Hoops Tops Oakland, 87-83

Men's Hoops Tops Oakland, 87-83

Duo of Knights Post Double-Doubles, Kugel Hits 1,000 Career Points

by Aiden Kocol
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ORLANDO – In a game the UCF men’s basketball team led for 36 minutes, it all came down to two free throws Monday night at Addition Financial Arena. Riley Kugel, the latest addition to the 1,000-point club, drilled his 1,015th and 1,016th points to seal an 87-83 win over the Oakland Grizzlies.

"It means a lot. I'm blessed and humbled to achieve something like that, at the end of the day."

Riley KugelOn securing his 1,000th career point

The Knights set the tone early in the first half, holding Oakland scoreless for more than three minutes and controlling the glass with six defensive rebounds in the opening stretch. Their defensive pressure stifled any offensive momentum the Grizzlies looked to build, helping UCF take a 10-4 lead less than six minutes into the game.

In his 42nd year at the helm, head coach Greg Kampe wasn’t about to let UCF’s early surge go unanswered, pushing his team to a 6-0 run that tied the game at 10. Still, the Grizzlies couldn’t move ahead of the Black and Gold, as a pair of free throws from Kugel put UCF back in front, 19-16, and officially lifted Kugel into the 1,000-point club. 

Kugel, who finished the night with 18 points, became the third Knight on the current roster to reach the milestone, joining Themus Fulks and Devan Cambridge. Having tallied double-digits in each of the Knights' early outings, Kugel currently leads the stat sheet in scoring, having entered the game with 72 points. The mark also ranks him 10th in the Big 12 in total points in the young season.

With both teams chalking up eight fouls before the break, free throws played a key role in the opening half. UCF went 11-for-15 at the line, while Oakland finished 10-for-12, but it was the Grizzlies’ turnovers that proved most costly. The Knights forced five first-half giveaways, converting them into 13 points, to secure a 40-34 lead at the end of the first frame.

UCF came out firing in the second half, opening with a 9-0 run in the first 1:42 to stretch the lead to double digits at 53-42, forcing an Oakland timeout. The early surge was fueled by Jamichael Stillwell, who delivered four points and four rebounds in that span on his way to securing his first double-double of the season.

Stillwell finished the night with 20 points and 14 rebounds, topping the team in both categories. Although Stillwell was the first Knight to secure a double-double this season, he wasn’t alone on Monday night, as point guard Fulks picked up 11 points of his own and dished out a team-high 10 assists. The latter mark is the most by a Knight since Darius Johnson’s 10 assists vs. then-No.18 Baylor Jan. 31, 2024.

As the Grizzlies tried to close the gap, the Knights continued to stay hot offensively, shooting 10-of-14 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep by the 12-minute media timeout to build a 67-53 lead.

While the Black and Gold had built a large cushion, momentum dramatically shifted midway through the second half, as UCF hit a cold spell on both ends. Oakland took full advantage, going on a 15-0 run while the Knights went nearly three minutes without a basket, tying the game at 70.

A clutch three from Kugel briefly halted the slide, but Oakland quickly responded with two free throws and a layup to take their first lead since the opening tip, 74-73, with under seven minutes remaining.

In line with the back-and-forth contest, a slam-down dunk from John Bol put the Knights ahead, 81-77, with under three minutes remaining. Yet, the Grizzlies proved resilient, battling back to cut the deficit to a single point, 81-80, with 1:50 on the clock.

An Oakland foul sent Stillwell to the stripe for a critical one-and-one. Stillwell calmly knocked down both free throws to extend UCF's advantage to three with just 38 seconds left, but Oakland swiftly countered with a layup to tighten the score back to one, 83-82.

Despite their second-half comeback, any hope the Grizzlies had to head back to Michigan victorious was snuffed out as a final pair of free throws from Kugel put the game out of reach and sealed the final score, 87-83.

Jordan Burks also contributed to the Knights' double-digit scoring effort, tallying 13 points while pulling down seven rebounds on the evening. Meanwhile, Fulks contributed to the team's strong presence on the glass, securing six rebounds in addition to his offensive dominance.

UP NEXT
The Knights will face Pitt in the Legends Classic at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach on Nov. 20. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.