Forward Collin Smith scored a season-high 21 points as Central Florida ended the nation's longest active home winning streak with a 69-64 victory over No. 8 Houston on Saturday afternoon in Houston in a matchup of two of the top three teams in the American Athletic Conference.
Center Tacko Fall had 13 points for the Knights (22-6, 12-4 American), who have won six of their last seven outings.
Guard Corey Davis Jr. scored 19 points and guard Dejon Jarreau added 15 for the Cougars (27-2, 14-2 AAC), who went into the game with a 33-game winning streak at home. They also had won their last 12 overall games.
The Knights opened the second half on an 11-0 run in the first five minutes to overcome a five-point halftime deficit, and led for all but a brief span the rest of the way.
Jarreau ended Houston's scoring drought by making 1 of 2 free throws, but the Cougars went nearly six minutes before getting their first field goal of the period on Davis' 3-pointer that made it 39-37.
The Knights eventually worked their way to an eight-point cushion at 51-43 before the Cougars rallied to catch up at 58 on Davis' steal and layup with 2:38 left.
The Cougars led 60-58 on forward/center Brison Gresham's layup but the Knights regained the lead for good on guard Aubrey Dawkins' 3-pointer with 1:38 remaining.
Houston took a 33-28 lead into intermission after breaking an 18-18 deadlock, with Davis hitting a jumper and two free throws to spur a 6-0 surge with just over five minutes left in the period.
The game was stopped twice in the first three minutes for review of plays involving UCF's Fall. On the first, Fall was the victim of a flagrant 1 foul by Houston guard Galen Robinson Jr., who grabbed the 7-foot-6 center under the basket.
On the second review, Fall was cleared of a flagrant 1 after making contact with 6-8 Houston forward Breaon Brady.
--Field Level Media
Central Florida | Houston | |
Collin Smith 21 | Scoring | Corey Davis Jr. 19 |
Terrell Allen 6 | Assists | Corey Davis Jr. 2 |
Tacko Fall 10 | Rebounds | Armoni Brooks 9 |
B.J. Taylor 8 | Free Throws Made | Dejon Jarreau 6 |
Terrell Allen 4 | Steals | Corey Davis Jr. 2 |
N/A | Blocks | Cedrick Alley Jr. 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Central Florida | 69 | 46.9 | 5-16 | 18-24 | 14 | 30 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
Houston | 64 | 41.8 | 6-18 | 12-24 | 7 | 32 | 1 | 6 | 8 |