UCF does not have much margin for error when it takes the court each game.
There is no dominant offensive player or great scorer to pace things for the Knights at all times. There is some inconsistency defensively with young guards on the wing. And even the point guard position has had some questions.
So when the Knights turn the ball over, commit fouls and fail to get the ball moving to find open shooters, it has the potential to be a long night.
UCF had one of those long nights, unable to get the offense going with any regularity and turning it over at a high rate and falling behind further and further in the second half.
The Knights’ decent start was quickly overcome and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane ended up dominating 75-60 at the Reynolds Center on Sunday.
UCF kept the game within distance in the second half, but never really challenged Tulsa. The Hurricanes slowly pulled away in the second half.
The Knights had 19 turnovers, helping set up the Hurricanes guard-based attack. James Woodard had 18 points and Pat Birt added 12. Neither shot the ball particularly well and neither did Tulsa.
Tulsa shot only 27.0 percent from the floor in the first half and held a five-point lead at the break. The Hurricane shot 34.8 percent total and 8 for 32 from beyond the arc. There were plenty of opportunities for the Knights squandered.
Instead UCF turned it over and fouled — 27 free throw attempts for Tulsa — and never quite got offensive footing.
A.J. Davis got his game going early, but faded away to score just eight points on 3-for-8 shooting. Justin McBride led UCF with 15 points and seven rebounds on 6-for-10 shooting. He continues to be a big presence for the Knights.
But it is also not nearly enough.
UCF shot 45.1 percent from the floor, but only 42.9 percent in the second half. The Knights could not overcome their own mistakes in the end. They had a 0.87 points per possession and a 27.5 percent turnover rate — meaning they turned the ball over on 27.5 percent of their possessions.
So UCF falls to 10-7 on the season and 4-2 in the American Conference. They play the Memphis Tigers on Tuesday at CFE Arena.
