ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Kyler Edwards scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half and Josh Carlton added 13 points and 14 rebounds as No. 7 Houston beat UCF 63-49 on Saturday night for its 10th straight victory.
Houston (18-2, 7-0 American) rallied from an early nine-point deficit and maintained control the final 30 minutes of the game. The Cougars closed the first half with a 19-4 run and held firm in the second half after UCF clawed to within 42-39. After UCF got within 47-43 midway through the second half with 6:20 to play, Houston responded with a 10-3 burst keyed by two Taze Moore 3-pointers to push its lead back out to 57-46.
A Houston defense that came into the game ranked second in the nation in field goal percentage allowed and second in points allowed held UCF to 35.3 percent from the floor and a season-low 49 points.
Edwards, the reining AAC Player of the Week, continued his hottest stretch of the season. The 6-foot-4 senior came into the game having averaged 25.7 points in his previous three games. On Saturday, he made four of 11 3-pointers and added seven rebounds and four assists.
Fabian White Jr. added 11 points, three assists and two blocks. His 3-pointer midway through the second half stopped an 8-0 UCF run and kept the Cougars ahead.
UCF (12-7, 4-5) lost its second straight game and for a third time in the past five games. The Knights, which beat Miami, Michigan and Memphis earlier in the season, lost to Houston for a fourth straight time and a ninth time in the pas 10 meetings.
Darin Green Jr. scored 14 points and hit four 3-pointers for the Knights. He opened the game with three straight 3-pointers and UCF proceeded to miss its next nine tries from beyond the arc. Darius Perry added 11 points.
Senior guard Brandon Mahan struggled throughout, making just one of 12 shots and missing all seven of his 3-point tries. UCF hit just six of 28 threes.
The Cougars moved to 7-0 in conference play for just the third time in school history and the first time since joining the American Athletic Conference.
Houston led 34-23 at intermission after closing the first half with a 19-4 run. Edwards found the holes in UCF’s zone defense and had four 3-pointers, including one four-point play, for 13 first-half points.
UCF raced to a 9-2 lead on the strength of three Green 3-pointers and it led 19-5 midway through the opening half. However, the Knights missed their final nine tries from 3-point range in the opening half.
BIG PICTURE
Houston: The Cougars have been ranked in the AP poll a school-record 38 straight weeks, a streak that dates to Jan. 20, 2019. … Houston beat UCF for a fourth straight time and for the ninth time in the past 10 meetings. … The Cougars came into Saturday game as one of just seven teams to rank in the top 20 nationally in offensive and defensive efficiency along with Arizona, Auburn, Baylor, Gonzaga, UCLA and Villanova. … Coming into Saturday, Houston had lost 34 player games to injuries and illnesses. Seven players have missed at least one game, including leading scorer Marcus Sasser (season-ending foot surgery).
UCF: The Knights dropped to 8-50 all-time and 5-17 under head coach Johnny Dawkins against ranked opponents. Dawkins is 2-8 all-time against Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson. … UCF’s two-game home winning streak ended. … Orlando Magic players Cole Anthony and R.J Hampton sat court side for the game.
UP NEXT
Houston: Hosts Tulane on Wednesday night.
UCF: Hosts USF on Thursday night.
