Facing many of the same struggles they saw in the first half, the Black and Gold had fallen into a 20-point deficit, 35-55, by the 14-minute mark of the second half. While the Knights showed improved activity on the glass, ultimately grabbing 32 against the Cyclones’ 38, the group's offensive inefficiency and turnovers continued to prevent any sustained momentum.
UCF briefly found a response behind Jordan Burks, who capitalized on multiple offensive rebounds, knocking down a pair of three-pointers to momentarily halt Iowa State runs and cut the scoring gap to 15, 58-43, with just under 10 minutes to play.
Burks closed the night with 15 points and a team‑high seven rebounds, while Kugel matched him with 15 points of his own to help lead the Knights’ offense.
Still, every surge was brief. UCF’s turnovers repeatedly stalled any momentum they tried to build, and Iowa State capitalized on nearly every mistake, converting them into 31 points. That swing proved to be the difference, as the Cyclones snapped their two‑game losing slide with an 87-57 win inside Hilton Coliseum.
