By Ken Cross
SUNRISE, Fla. – UCF guard Deebo Coleman led four Knights in double figures, but UCF’s defense held Tulsa to 2-of-9 from the floor over the last 2:50 to hand the Golden Hurricane an 88-75 defeat in the first game of the Orange Bowl Classic.
Tulsa combo-guard Keaston Willis led all scorers with 22 points while backcourt mate Dwon Odom tallied 20.
Knights shooting guard Jordan Ivy-Curry scored 16 points while Keyshawn Hall and Moustapha Thiam netted 14 points each to hand UCF (8-2) its fourth win in a row; thus, Tulsa (4-7) fell for the seventh time in eight games.
The Golden Hurricane had a 12-0 run behind guard Keaton Harris and led 38-32 with 2:45 left before halftime. The Knights then took control With a 17-1 run after Ivy-Curry netted a pair of threes and Darius Johnson scored two baskets around a Coleman three. UCF took a 45-39 lead at the break and extended to 49-39 on fast break layups by Coleman and Keyshawn Hall to start the second half.
Thiam’s length and athleticism gave the Knights an advantage inside as he scored off rebounds and slammed an ally-oop from Benny Williams to give UCF a 64-58 advantage with 10:11 to play.
Tulsa has struggled defensively as the Golden Hurricane has trouble stopping shot opportunities. Opponents have been able to amass 62.5 shots per game and shot 44.9 percent from the floor, averaging 77 points per game.
The Golden Hurricane trailed the Knights, 32-26, with 2:35 remaining in the first half before Tulsa’s Harris hit a pair of threes in a 12-0 run.
UCF had a 44-24 advantage in the paint and led the game for 33:08.