UCF uses 20-3 run in the second half to stifle No. 23 Texas Tech in 75-61 victory
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Darius Johnson had 16 points and five assists, Jaylin Sellers scored 15 points and UCF held No. 23 Texas Tech without a field goal for more than nine minutes in the second half en route to a 75-61 victory Saturday.
The win, keyed by a 20-3 second-half run, was the third by the Knights (14-12, 5-9 Big 12) over a ranked opponent at Addition Financial Arena in their first season in the Big 12. The program has eight total wins over ranked opponents in program history.
Johnson led the effort, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Knights some much-needed breathing room and their first double-digit lead with five minutes to play.
Texas Tech (19-8, 8-6) had cut the deficit to two at 53-51 with 9:42 to play after Kerwin Walton made a free throw following a layup a few seconds earlier to put pressure on UCF's second-half lead.
But the Red Raiders found it difficult to score the rest of the way. The Knights took over from there.
UCF did not give up another field goal until there was just more than a minute to play. The Knights forced five turnovers in that span, capped off with Johnson stealing the ball and setting up Shemari Allen for a two-handed dunk to complete the decisive run.
For the Knights, the defensive pressure they deployed was the team returning to its identity and using that to feed the offense to snap a four-game losing streak.
“We became too much of a perimeter-oriented team and a jump-shooting team,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. “That’s not who we are. We want to ground and pound. We want to touch the paint and play inside-out with our bigs. It took us some time to kind of find our way.”
The Knights shot 46.6% for the game and 6 of 12 on 3-pointers. UCF scored 32 points in the paint to Texas Tech's 12, dominating the interior with its shot blockers inside and scoring from the post for much of the game.
UCF's defense stifled Texas Tech's leading scorers, Pop Isaacs and Joe Toussaint. The guard duo averages 28.8 points per game. But Isaacs had only 8 points on 3-for-12 shooting and Toussaint scored 3 points on 1-for-7 shooting.
Texas Tech finished shooting 37% percent from the floor and was only 8 for 28 from 3-point range (28.6%). The Knights blocked three shots and forced 14 turnovers.
“You got to still be aggressive and play through their chin and play toward the basket," Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. "We had that stretch we probably settled for some 3s without getting paint. Their length makes you want to shy away from it and play away from the basket, but you have to do the opposite of that.”
Darrion Williams led the Red Raiders with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Walton added 18 points.
The Red Raiders had answers early to all of the Knights’ first-half runs. But Texas Tech went cold from the field in the second half before Eemeli Yalaho hit a corner 3 with 1:02 to play and the game out of reach.
By then, UCF had expanded its lead out and put the game away.
“We've been preaching just getting stops and building stops," Johnson said. "They sat on 51 points for a while. We built on that, getting easy transition buckets and getting fouls. We just built on it.”
BIG PICTURE
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders' NCAA Tournament hopes shouldn't take much of a hit. But they have lost three straight on the road and four of their last five away from Lubbock, Texas.
UCF: The Knights continue to establish the ability to win in the Big 12 even if their NCAA Tournament dreams have long faded. The Knights snapped a four-game losing streak with the win.
WHAT'S NEXT
Texas Tech: Returns home to face Texas on Tuesday night.
UCF: Hits the road to face Oklahoma State on Wednesday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Warren Washington vs. C.J. Walker (Shemarri Allen gains possession) | |||
20:00 | Warren Washington vs. C.J. Walker (Shemarri Allen gains possession) | |||
19:39 | Ibrahima Diallo misses two point jump shot | |||
19:37 | Warren Washington defensive rebound | |||
19:13 | Darrion Williams misses two point layup | |||
19:11 | Darrion Williams offensive rebound | |||
18:56 | +2 | Darrion Williams makes two point jump shot | 2-0 | |
18:32 | Warren Washington shooting foul (Ibrahima Diallo draws the foul) | |||
18:32 | +1 | Ibrahima Diallo makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 2-1 | |
18:32 | +1 | Ibrahima Diallo makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 2-2 | |
18:26 | Warren Washington turnover (bad pass) (Jaylin Sellers steals) | |||
18:15 | C.J. Walker turnover (lost ball) (Joe Toussaint steals) | |||
18:09 | +3 | Kerwin Walton makes three point jump shot (Darrion Williams assists) | 5-2 | |
17:58 | +2 | Darius Johnson makes two point jump shot | 5-4 | |
17:30 | Pop Isaacs misses three point jump shot | |||
17:28 | Shemarri Allen defensive rebound | |||
17:13 | +2 | C.J. Walker makes two point layup | 5-6 | |
16:43 | +2 | Pop Isaacs makes two point jump shot | 7-6 | |
16:34 | Kerwin Walton shooting foul (Jaylin Sellers draws the foul) | |||
16:34 | +1 | Jaylin Sellers makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 7-7 | |
16:34 | Jaylin Sellers misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
16:34 | Pop Isaacs defensive rebound | |||
16:21 | +2 | Kerwin Walton makes two point dunk (Robert Jennings assists) | 9-7 | |
16:21 | Jaylin Sellers shooting foul (Kerwin Walton draws the foul) | |||
16:21 | +1 | Kerwin Walton makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 10-7 | |
16:03 | Shemarri Allen misses two point layup | |||
16:01 | Robert Jennings defensive rebound | |||
16:01 | TV timeout | |||
15:43 | +2 | Darrion Williams makes two point jump shot | 12-7 | |
15:18 | +2 | Omar Payne makes two point layup (Antwann Jones assists) | 12-9 | |
15:03 | Pop Isaacs misses three point jump shot | |||
15:01 | Omar Payne defensive rebound | |||
14:45 | Shemarri Allen misses three point jump shot | |||
14:43 | Darrion Williams defensive rebound | |||
14:27 | Kerwin Walton misses three point jump shot | |||
14:25 | Antwann Jones defensive rebound | |||
14:18 | Warren Washington personal foul | |||
14:09 | Robert Jennings shooting foul (C.J. Walker draws the foul) | |||
14:09 | +1 | C.J. Walker makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 12-10 | |
14:09 | +1 | C.J. Walker makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 12-11 | |
13:59 | +2 | Robert Jennings makes two point layup (Lamar Washington assists) | 14-11 | |
13:36 | Darius Johnson personal foul | |||
13:21 | C.J. Walker shooting foul (Robert Jennings draws the foul) | |||
13:21 | +1 | Robert Jennings makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 15-11 | |
13:21 | +1 | Robert Jennings makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 16-11 | |
13:14 | Jaylin Sellers misses three point jump shot | |||
13:12 | Darrion Williams defensive rebound | |||
13:06 | Ibrahima Diallo blocks Lamar Washington's two point layup | |||
13:04 | Ibrahima Diallo defensive rebound | |||
12:58 | +2 | Antwann Jones makes two point layup | 16-13 | |
12:36 | Joe Toussaint misses three point jump shot | |||
12:34 | Robert Jennings offensive rebound | |||
12:17 | Kerwin Walton misses three point jump shot | |||
12:15 | C.J. Walker defensive rebound | |||
11:53 | +2 | Ibrahima Diallo makes two point jump shot | 16-15 | |
11:21 | Ibrahima Diallo shooting foul (Robert Jennings draws the foul) | |||
11:21 | TV timeout | |||
11:21 | Robert Jennings misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
11:21 | +1 | Robert Jennings makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 17-15 | |
11:02 | Jaylin Sellers misses two point jump shot | |||
11:00 | Thierno Sylla offensive rebound | |||
10:50 | Shemarri Allen offensive foul | |||
10:50 | Shemarri Allen turnover (offensive foul) | |||
10:40 | +2 | Darrion Williams makes two point jump shot (Joe Toussaint assists) | 19-15 | |
10:24 | Joe Toussaint personal foul | |||
10:13 | +3 | Jaylin Sellers makes three point jump shot | 19-18 | |
9:54 | Robert Jennings misses two point jump shot | |||
9:52 | Thierno Sylla defensive rebound | |||
9:39 | +2 | DeMarr Langford Jr. makes two point layup (Omar Payne assists) | 19-20 | |
9:26 | Robert Jennings turnover (bad pass) (Shemarri Allen steals) | |||
9:18 | Jaylin Sellers misses two point jump shot | |||
9:16 | DeMarr Langford Jr. offensive rebound | |||
9:10 | Robert Jennings shooting foul (Shemarri Allen draws the foul) | |||
9:10 | +1 | Shemarri Allen makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 19-21 | |
9:10 | Shemarri Allen misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
9:10 | Knights offensive rebound | |||
8:50 | Darrion Williams blocks C.J. Walker's two point layup | |||
8:48 | Darrion Williams defensive rebound | |||
8:37 | Joe Toussaint misses three point jump shot | |||
8:35 | Antwann Jones defensive rebound | |||
8:31 | +2 | Antwann Jones makes two point layup | 19-23 | |
8:30 | Red Raiders 30 second timeout | |||
8:18 | +2 | Darrion Williams makes two point jump shot | 21-23 | |
7:52 | Darius Johnson misses two point jump shot | |||
7:50 | Darrion Williams defensive rebound | |||
7:42 | Joe Toussaint misses three point jump shot | |||
7:40 | Omar Payne defensive rebound | |||
7:17 | +2 | Antwann Jones makes two point jump shot | 21-25 | |
6:55 | Darrion Williams misses two point jump shot | |||
6:53 | Darrion Williams offensive rebound | |||
6:49 | Darrion Williams misses two point layup | |||
6:47 | C.J. Walker defensive rebound | |||
6:36 | Omar Payne personal foul (Joe Toussaint draws the foul) | |||
6:36 | TV timeout | |||
6:19 | KyeRon Lindsay turnover (lost ball) | |||
6:04 | Antwann Jones turnover (bad pass) | |||
5:52 | Darrion Williams misses two point jump shot | |||
5:50 | Ibrahima Diallo defensive rebound | |||
5:38 | Ibrahima Diallo misses two point layup | |||
5:36 | Pop Isaacs defensive rebound | |||
5:31 | +3 | Kerwin Walton makes three point jump shot (Joe Toussaint assists) | 24-25 | |
5:15 | Robert Jennings personal foul (Ibrahima Diallo draws the foul) | |||
5:15 | Ibrahima Diallo misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
5:15 | Robert Jennings defensive rebound | |||
4:56 | Robert Jennings misses two point jump shot | |||
4:54 | Thierno Sylla defensive rebound | |||
4:44 | Robert Jennings shooting foul (Darius Johnson draws the foul) | |||
4:44 | +1 | Darius Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 24-26 | |
4:44 | Darius Johnson misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
4:44 | Pop Isaacs defensive rebound | |||
4:24 | +3 | Kerwin Walton makes three point jump shot | 27-26 | |
4:13 | Darius Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
4:11 | Darrion Williams defensive rebound | |||
3:55 | Darrion Williams misses two point layup | |||
3:53 | Red Raiders offensive rebound | |||
3:50 | Shemarri Allen personal foul | |||
3:50 | TV timeout | |||
3:50 | Darrion Williams misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
3:50 | Thierno Sylla defensive rebound | |||
3:30 | Darius Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
3:28 | Joe Toussaint defensive rebound | |||
3:19 | Warren Washington turnover (bad pass) (Omar Payne steals) | |||
3:13 | Jaylin Sellers misses two point layup | |||
3:11 | Warren Washington defensive rebound | |||
3:04 | Joe Toussaint misses three point jump shot | |||
3:02 | Omar Payne defensive rebound | |||
2:52 | +3 | Jaylin Sellers makes three point jump shot (Darius Johnson assists) | 27-29 | |
2:52 | Red Raiders 30 second timeout | |||
2:32 | Kerwin Walton turnover (lost ball) (Darius Johnson steals) | |||
2:28 | +2 | Jaylin Sellers makes two point layup (Darius Johnson assists) | 27-31 | |
2:08 | Pop Isaacs turnover (bad pass) | |||
1:44 | +3 | Darius Johnson makes three point jump shot (Jaylin Sellers assists) | 27-34 | |
1:20 | Pop Isaacs misses two point jump shot | |||
1:18 | Eemeli Yalaho offensive rebound | |||
1:09 | +3 | Darrion Williams makes three point jump shot (Eemeli Yalaho assists) | 30-34 | |
0:44 | DeMarr Langford Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
0:42 | Eemeli Yalaho defensive rebound | |||
0:36 | Darrion Williams misses three point jump shot | |||
0:34 | Kerwin Walton offensive rebound | |||
0:30 | Pop Isaacs misses three point jump shot | |||
0:28 | Jaylin Sellers defensive rebound | |||
0:23 | DeMarr Langford Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Darrion Williams steals) | |||
0:21 | Thierno Sylla personal foul (Darrion Williams draws the foul) | |||
0:21 | +1 | Darrion Williams makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 31-34 | |
0:21 | +1 | Darrion Williams makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 32-34 | |
0:03 | Darius Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
0:01 | C.J. Walker offensive rebound | |||
0:01 | +2 | C.J. Walker makes two point layup | 32-36 | |
0:00 | End of period |