UCF pulls away in second half to beat Pitt, 77–67, at Legends Classic

Every game seems to reveal a little more about who this UCF team is becoming, and Thursday night in Daytona Beach added another piece to the puzzle. Behind relentless paint pressure, timely scoring from its veterans, and a second-half defensive clampdown, UCF powered past Pitt, 77–67, in the Legends Classic to earn its fourth straight victory.

The win is the Knights’ fourth straight and moves them to 5–1 heading into Thanksgiving week.

Riley Kugel and Themus Fulks scored 18 points apiece, while Jamichael Stillwell delivered his second double-double of the season — 12 points and 11 rebounds — as UCF shot 52.5 percent from the field and outscored Pitt 46–28 in the paint.

“I was really proud of our guys’ overall effort,” Johnny Dawkins said on his postgame radio interview with Marc Daniels. “We knew they were a good basketball team. Neutral sites are tricky, but I thought we did a lot of good things tonight.”

Knights take control after halftime

UCF led 38–36 at the break — thanks to Fulks’ buzzer-beating three — but the game flipped in the opening minutes of the second half. The Knights opened with a 15–3 run, including six quick points from John Bol, stretching their lead to 14.

From there, UCF’s defense tightened. Pitt, which shot 48 percent in the first half, was held to 31 percent after halftime and just 4-of-16 from deep.

“We gave them some easy opportunities early,” Dawkins said. “But once we settled in and understood what they were trying to do, our guys really locked in. They made it difficult for Pitt to find good shots.”

Pitt (4–2) made one final run, drawing within seven with 2:14 remaining, but Kugel scored in transition and Fulks hit a floater to seal it. Fulks finished with 18 points, 4 assists, and made all three of his three-point attempts.

“Themus is terrific attacking off the bounce,” Dawkins said. “He did a great job sucking the defenders in, getting to the paint, and making plays for himself and others.”

Paint dominance anchors balanced offensive night

Entering the game, UCF had showcased three-point efficiency — the Knights were third nationally at 47.7 percent from deep entering the night — but this game was won inside.

UCF shot 32-of-61 overall and generated 46 paint points, tying a season high.

“We have guys that can get downhill,” Dawkins said. “Riley was aggressive getting to the basket. Themus was aggressive. And when you have someone like Jamichael in there, he’s going to compete on every possession.”

Stillwell, a Milwaukee transfer who has established himself as a top rebounder, played to his reputation: five offensive boards, 11 total rebounds, and multiple momentum-shifting second-chance plays.

“He’s a junkyard dog,” Dawkins said. “That’s who he is. He competes every possession. He’s a guy you want on your team, and a guy you don’t want to play against.”

UCF’s bench added 14 points, including Carmelo Pacheco’s five points and timely perimeter spacing, while Jordan Burks chipped in nine.

Defense, rebounding and depth carry key stretches

One of the night’s most important sequences came early in the second half when Kugel picked up his fourth foul with 11:16 left and UCF leading by 11. Dawkins stayed with his depth, and the Knights kept the margin intact until Kugel returned with 5:59 remaining.

“That’s a compliment to his teammates,” Dawkins said. “We always say we built our team as a team. When someone is in foul trouble, we expect the next guy to step in, and I thought we got that tonight.”

UCF posted a 37–28 rebounding advantage, including 16 offensive rebounds that led to 24 second-chance points. Defensively, UCF flipped the game by forcing Pitt into 12 turnovers and holding the Panthers to 25.9 percent from three.

Dawkins: “We can compete”

Now 5–1, UCF has beaten an ACC team and SEC team on the road at Texas A&M in the past six days.

“I know we can compete,” he said. “If we continue to learn from each of these games and get better every time we step on the floor, we have a chance to have a good season. Our focus is 1–0 each night.”

The Knights return home Tuesday to face Quinnipiac.