Men’s Hoops Rallies Past Yale for 87-75 victory

ORLANDO - UCF men’s hoops turned up the pressure in the second half Friday night, powering past Yale, 87-75, inside Addition Financial Arena to secure a victory over the Yale Bulldogs.

Yale (1-1) struck first, but Isaiah Malone got the Knights (2-0) on the board at the free-throw line. Dior Johnson followed with UCF’s first field goal of the night, setting the tone for the Black and Gold.

Fifth-year guard Riley Kugel made his return to the Kingdom count, recording his first official points of the season with a free throw at the 15:53 mark. He added two jumpers and another free throw to help keep the Knights within striking distance.

Carmelo Pacheco connected from beyond the arc at 9:51, recording UCF’s first 3-pointer of the night and his first of the 2026-27 campaign.

Lewis Walker sparked the offense with a layup before adding a pair of free throws. A steal by Mister Dean then set up Elijah Hulsewe for a jumper, while Jason Asemota got his first points as a Knight at the free-throw line.

Johnson caught fire down the stretch, pouring in six points in a minute and a half before Pacheco knocked down another 3-pointer. Johnson capped the half with a four-point play and a layup, helping UCF close the gap as the Knights headed into the break trailing 42-39.

The Black and Gold came out swinging after halftime. An offensive turnover by Yale gave UCF an early opportunity, and Arturo Dean converted at the free-throw line. John Bol followed with a dunk to give the Knights their first lead of the night, 43-42. A pair of layups from Arturo and Walker helped UCF build its momentum.

Johnson continued to light up the scoreboard, draining a 3-pointer to extend his streak to six consecutive games with at least 20 points.

The Bulldogs briefly evened the score at the 14:14 mark, but Walker answered with a layup to put the Knights back in front. Kugel then took charge, stringing together seven points to help UCF carry a 61-59 advantage into the final 10 minutes.

Malone made his presence felt on both ends of the floor, recording a block at 8:49 before Johnson capitalized with a 3-pointer. Malone followed with a triple of his own, fueling a decisive run that pushed the Knights' advantage to 74-61.

Kugel came up with a steal to spark another transition opportunity, setting up Arturo for a layup as UCF continued to pull away.

With the game in hand, Hulsewe added one final layup with a minute remaining to complete his first double-double as a Knight, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Knights commanding second-half performance sealed the 87-75 victory.

UCF also made its mark on the defensive end, committing just two turnovers throughout the contest, the fewest in the Johnny Dawkins era.

TEAM NOTES

• The Knights extend their non-conference win streak to 12 games
• The Knights now tie the all-time series against Yale at 1-1. The win also now ties the all-time series record against Ivy-League opponents at five apiece.
• The Knights held the Bulldogs to zero points off turnovers, improving upon their season-low mark of one established in the season-opener against FGCU.
• The Knights recorded just two turnovers in the contest - the lowest single-game number of turnovers in the Dawkins era. Their previous single-game was three against Tulsa on Feb. 1 2023.
• UCF overcame a 13-point first-half deficit, their largest comeback of the young season. The last time the Knights overcame a deficit of 12 or more was in the opening round of last season’s Big 12 Tournament, when they overcame a second-half 12-point deficit versus Cincinnati. 
• Collectively, the Black and Gold shot 83.3% from the free-throw line. The last time the Knights shot above 80% from the stripe was last season versus Baylor (2/28/2026), when they made 84.2% of their attempts.

PLAYER NOTES

• Finishing with 28 points, Dior Johnson extended his streak of consecutive 20-point games to six.
• After sinking all eight of his free-throw attempts, Dior Johnson tied his career-high for most free throws made in a game without a miss.
• After pulling in seven rebounds, Dior Johnson tied his career-high of rebounds in a single-game. 
• After grabbing 10 rebounds, Elijah Hulsewe set a UCF career-high, besting his previous high of four last season against Oklahoma State.
• With his 10 point, 10 rebound performance, Elijah Hulsewe notched his first career double-double as a Knight and the second of his career overall 

UP NEXT
The Knights remain at home to take on South Alabama at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10 on ESPN+.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
UCF men's basketball tickets are on sale now, including season tickets, single-game tickets and mini plans. Be sure to catch all the action starting Nov. 2 as the Knights return to the court. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the UCF Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000.
Season tickets, single-game tickets and mini plans are available now.
About UCF Athletics
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.