Men's Hoops Drops Overtime Contest to Oklahoma State, 111-104

ORLANDO – UCF men’s basketball dropped its first overtime contest of the season Tuesday night at Addition Financial Arena, falling to Oklahoma State, 111-104.

In a game featuring 10 ties and 14 lead changes, the difference ultimately came down to the free-throw line. The teams combined for 85 attempts, but it was the Cowboys (18-12, 6-11 Big 12) who proved more efficient, shooting 80 percent from the stripe compared to the Citronauts’ (20-9, 9-8) 73.3 percent clip.

Although the ‘Nauts generated more turnovers and shot a higher percentage from the field in the second half, Oklahoma State imposed its will on the glass, outrebounding UCF 47-39. That advantage, combined with the Cowboys’ edge at the free-throw line, proved decisive in a tightly contested matchup that ultimately required overtime to settle.

John Bol started hot for the ‘Nauts, scoring on back-to-back possessions to give UCF an early 7-5 lead, and the Citronauts quickly built on that spark. By the 17:45 mark, they had stretched the margin to six, 11-5, setting the tone with an efficient offense that scored on six of their first seven shots from the field.

Elijah Hulsewe kept the pressure on, converting a pair of free throws and finishing consecutive layups to cap an 8-0 burst that pushed the advantage to 12, 21-9, with 13:32 left in the half. Hulsewe delivered a breakout performance in the first half for UCF, scoring eight points in the opening frame, more than he’s had in the rest of the season combined entering the game. 

Although UCF appeared firmly in control early, the momentum didn’t last. As the defensive intensity dipped, the Cowboys clawed back into the game using three straight giveaways to fuel a 13-5 run over a nearly four-minute stretch, trimming the deficit to 28-26 by the eight-minute mark.

Triple from none other than @RileyKugel

11pts for 2️⃣ pic.twitter.com/1hZKtDRC0g

— UCF Men’s Hoops 🌴 (@UCF_MBB) March 4, 2026

A prolonged scoring drought, nearly four minutes,  finally caught up to the Citronauts, when the Cowboys evened the score at 31 with 5:31 left in the opening frame. Riley Kugel answered with a pair of key buckets to briefly restore the edge, putting the Citronauts back on top 36-31. Still, the offensive inconsistency lingered, as another three-minute dry spell opened the door for the Cowboys to seize their first lead of the half, 38-36, with 1:42 remaining.

Though Hulsewe snapped the skid with a layup, the ‘Nauts couldn’t string together enough stops down the stretch to regain control, sending them into the locker room trailing 45-40.

Kugel paced the Citronauts in the first half, pouring in 11 points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting clip. The senior finished with 18 points, marking his 21st double-digit scoring performance of the season. Meanwhile, Themus Fulks topped UCF’s stat sheet in both scoring and assists, finishing with 22 and six, respectively.

Despite outscoring the Cowboys 5-2 in the opening two minutes of the second half, the ‘Nauts couldn’t quite take control, still trailing 47-46 by the 18-minute mark. UCF didn’t stay behind for long, though, as Carmelo Pacheco and Kugel knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to put the ‘Nauts back in front, 56-54, with 14:18 remaining.

Oklahoma State, however, refused to let the game slip away. Even during a four-minute drought from the field, the Cowboys lived at the free-throw line, knocking down 18 of their 20 attempts in the second half to stay within reach. Their work at the charity stripe paid off, as they pulled even at 61 with 10:37 remaining.

The teams continued to trade blows in the final 10-minutes, neither finding much separation, but Oklahoma State soon seized the momentum, hitting six straight field goals to build a seven-point advantage, 80-73, with just under five minutes left in regulation.

The Cowboys held onto that edge down the stretch and led by six with just a minute remaining. Just when it seemed the ‘Nauts were out of chances, Fulks delivered a clutch pair of free throws to trim the deficit to two with 37 seconds on the clock. Oklahoma State answered with what appeared to be a game-sealing dunk, but Chris Johnson responded in dramatic fashion, burying a step-back three-pointer to force overtime at 94-94.

CJ for the tie ‼️ | @Luhchriis pic.twitter.com/S06yYKmizz

— UCF Men’s Hoops 🌴 (@UCF_MBB) March 4, 2026

UCF opened the extra period strong, outscoring the Cowboys 6-3 in the first two minutes. However, their momentum stalled after three consecutive fouls sent Oklahoma State to the line, where the Cowboys converted to take a 104-100 lead with one minute remaining. Fulks added a quick layup to keep hope alive, but continued foul trouble proved costly, as Oklahoma State sealed the 111-104 victory at the stripe.

UP NEXT
The squad travels to Morgantown, W.V., for its final regular-season matchup against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Tipoff is set for 8 PM inside WVU Coliseum, with the game airing live on CBS Sports Network, or you can follow along on 96.9 The Game using the link here.

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