The Bearcats (16-2, 5-0 American Athletic Conference) were held to a season-low point total, but made up for that by also holding the Knights (12-6, 3-3) to a season low.
Guard Jacob Evans III was the only other Bearcat in double figures with 10 points.
The Knights (12-5, 3-2) did not have a double-figure scorer, but three players -- center Tacko Fall, guard Terrell Allen and guard Dayon Griffin -- scored seven points each.
The Bearcats trailed the entire first half and didn't get their first lead until early in the second half when forward Kyle Washington put them up 23-22 on a 3-pointer at the 17:13 mark. But it lasted less than a minute when Allen answered with a triple of his own.
Cincy took the lead for good when guard Cane Broome's 3-pointer at the 12:47 mark broke a 30-30 tie. That basket also sparked an 8-0 run that put the Bearcats up 38-30 with just over eight minutes remaining.
UCF cut that in half on Fall's two short shots, but the Bearcats responded and Clark's dunk with 3:56 remaining put them up 45-36, their biggest margin of the game to that point.
The first half featured many empty possessions for both teams.
Halfway through the period the Bearcats had made only 2 of their 11 field-goal attempts but trailed only 14-5 because the Knights had hit only 5 of their 18 attempts.
Clark then scored five quick points on a layup and 3-pointer and guard Jarron Cumberland hit a triple to get the Bearcats to within 14-13, but Taylor closed out the half with a couple of baskets and Griffin added a free throw to make it a 19-15 game at the intermission.
The point totals were also season-lows for the first half for both teams.
--Field Level Media
Cincinnati | Central Florida | |
Gary Clark 17 | Scoring | Terrell Allen 7 |
Cane Broome 5 | Assists | A.J. Davis 3 |
Gary Clark 15 | Rebounds | Tacko Fall 9 |
Jacob Evans 3 | Free Throws Made | A.J. Davis 1 |
Gary Clark 2 | Steals | Dayon Griffin 2 |
Jacob Evans 3 | Blocks | Tacko Fall 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Cincinnati | 49 | 35.2 | 5-20 | 6-10 | 15 | 30 | 6 | 6 | 9 |
Central Florida | 38 | 30.0 | 5-17 | 3-10 | 11 | 28 | 1 | 3 | 14 |