UCF falls to Oklahoma State 111-104 in overtime

Knights' NCAA Tournament hopes take a hit with second straight home loss

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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UCF dropped a heartbreaker to Oklahoma State 111-104 in overtime, tightening the Knights' NCAA Tournament margin before their final regular-season game at West Virginia. UCF led by 13 in the first half but couldn't hold on, as Oklahoma State capitalized on turnovers and won the rebounding battle to rally back. The Knights had a chance to win it in regulation but couldn't make enough plays in overtime, missing free throws and allowing second-chance points.

Why it matters

The loss was a tough blow to UCF's NCAA Tournament hopes, as the Knights had boosted their profile with recent road wins over Utah and BYU. Now they head to West Virginia needing a win to guarantee a winning conference record and solidify their tournament resume.

The details

UCF jumped out to a 23-10 lead in the first half but lost discipline, allowing Oklahoma State to rally back and take a 45-40 halftime lead. The game was marred by constant whistles, with the teams combining for 85 free-throw attempts. UCF had a chance to win it in regulation, but couldn't make enough plays in overtime, missing free throws and allowing second-chance points to the Cowboys.

  • UCF led 23-10 early in the first half.
  • Oklahoma State led 45-40 at halftime.
  • UCF trailed by 7 with under 5 minutes left in regulation.
  • Chris Johnson hit a game-tying 3 with 11 seconds left to send it to overtime.

The players

Johnny Dawkins

The head coach of the UCF Knights basketball team.

John Bol

A UCF player who gave the Knights an early spark, finishing with 14 points and 9 rebounds.

Elijah Hulsewe

A UCF player who provided an unexpected lift off the bench.

Themus Fulks

A UCF player who led the team with 22 points and 6 assists.

Riley Kugel

A UCF player who scored 18 points in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“We did a good job of building the lead, and I thought we got out of character. I thought when we built the lead, we took a couple ill-advised shots that we don't usually take in our system, as well as we turned the ball over. And a 13-point lead is no lead in college basketball anymore.”

— Johnny Dawkins, Head Coach (on3.com)

“We've got to do a better job of not looking at the name of the other team and just proceeding every game like how we're supposed to play. If we buy in more in practice, it would really help us and benefit us.”

— Riley Kugel, Player (on3.com)

“Defense is the main thing. If we play defense, that will translate to offense. So if we do that, we'll be fine.”

— Chris Johnson, Player (on3.com)

What’s next

UCF heads to West Virginia on Friday for its final regular-season game, needing a win to guarantee a winning conference record and solidify its NCAA Tournament hopes.

The takeaway

This tough loss at home tightens UCF's NCAA Tournament margin, but the Knights still have a tournament-worthy resume on paper. They'll need to regroup and respond with a win at West Virginia to ensure their spot in the Big Dance.