UCF Knights Fall 74-67 to West Virginia in Third Straight Loss

Orlando, Florida - The UCF Knights men's basketball team suffered a frustrating 74-67 home loss to West Virginia on Saturday, marking their third consecutive defeat and placing them squarely on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament with six regular-season games remaining.

The Knights, who built a 14-point lead in the second half, faltered late as the Mountaineers mounted a comeback to secure the victory. UCF dropped to 17-7 overall and 6-6 in the Big 12 Conference, ending a streak where they had won three straight before the skid began. This was the team's first home loss to an unranked opponent this season, highlighting defensive lapses in a game they led for much of the contest. West Virginia improved to 16-9 overall and 7-5 in conference play.

Coach Johnny Dawkins' squad now sits eighth in the Big 12 standings, clinging to the last first-round bye in the upcoming conference tournament. Their NET ranking stands at 49th, the lowest since early December, though it peaked at 30th after a win over Kansas. UCF's average opponents' NET is 38th, reflecting a challenging schedule. The loss to West Virginia counts as a Quad 2 defeat, their first outside the top tier of games, which could...