Florida Atlantic jumped out early behind hot perimeter shooting, knocking down three three-pointers in the opening five minutes to fuel a 9-0 run. UCF weathered multiple scoring droughts in the first half, leaning on Jamichael Stillwell and Themus Fulks to keep the deficit manageable. A late 7-0 surge, capped by a Jordan Burks dunk, pulled the Knights within two before FAU beat the buzzer with a three to take a 38-33 lead into halftime.
UCF seized momentum early in the second half. Burks’ dunk at the 18:34 mark gave the Knights their first lead of the game, and Riley Kugel followed with a three just before the under-16 media timeout to extend the advantage. Fulks powered the offense down the stretch, completing a three-point play to give UCF its largest lead of the contest at eight with 6:28 remaining.
Florida Atlantic made one final push, trimming the margin to one with under two minutes to play, but the Knights executed late. Kugel knocked down two free throws with 29 seconds left, and an FAU turnover led to a Kugel layup. Burks then went to free throw line and made both to seal the win. UCF made five of its final seven field goals to close out the game, 85-80
Fulks delivered a stellar performance, posting a double-double with 24 points and 12 assists. Kugel added 18 points and tied his career high with six steals. Stillwell finished with 15 points, Burks contributed 14, and John Bol recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
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UCF breaks for the holidays before opening Big 12 Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 3, hosting No. 17 Kansas inside Addition Financial Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
