ORLANDO — UCF suffered heartbreak on its home floor for Valentine's Day, dropping a third straight game as its NCAA Tournament hopes dwindle.
The Knights (17-7, 6-6) squandered a 14-point, second-half lead in a 74-67 loss to West Virginia. Honor Huff scored 18 of his game-high 21 after halftime, and he drilled a dagger of a 3-pointer with 59.7 seconds left to cap a decisive 10-0 run.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWest Virginia (16-9, 7-5), which entered the weekend on the wrong side of the tournament bubble by consensus projections, outscored the Knights 36-15 over the final 11:27. It's the third time the Mountaineers have rallied from at least 14 down to win since the start of Big 12 play.
"This group's been in these positions before, and typically we do a good job of not panicking," West Virginia coach Ross Hodge said. "We don't have to panic on offense, but our level of urgency and desperation at the defensive end of the floor is going to have to pick up, and pick up right this second."
Since its statement home win over No. 11 Texas Tech, UCF averaged 64.7 points against three of the league's top defenses. The Knights shot 42.1% from the field and committed 13 turnovers, six from fifth-year point guard Themus Fulks compared to his seven assists.
Fulks led the Knights with 19 points. Riley Kugel had 13 on 3-of-10 shooting.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"We didn't execute down the stretch," UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said. "Give them a lot of credit; that's how they have won a lot of their basketball games. We knew that coming in that we had to stay focused. And we didn't sustain it in the second half the way we needed to. They just keep playing."
UCF will need to respond Tuesday in a similar Big 12 bubble battle royale against TCU. First, here are three takeaways from a costly collapse.
Jamichael Stillwell sits out for UCF after game-time decision
Feb 14, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights guard Chris Johnson (22) shoots against West Virginia Mountaineers forward Brenen Lorient (0) during the second half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn ImagesSenior forward Jamichael Stillwell, listed as a game-time decision on the Big 12's final availability report, missed out due to an unspecified injury sustained in practice, Dawkins said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStillwell participated in pregame warmups and emerged from the tunnel before introductions with his jersey on, but he remained on the bench for the entire game. He is considered day-to-day.
West Virginia took advantage of Stillwell's absence, outrebounding the Knights 37-31 and turning 13 offensive boards into 10 second-chance points.
UCF is now 0-3 in games in which Stillwell does not start this season.
"He's like the backbone of the team," forward Jordan Burks said. "Enforcer. He works hard. He would have come out there and helped us defend better. We need him back, for sure."
Dawkins detailed one further in-game injury; junior Carmelo Pacheco, who hit his lone 3-point attempt, exited due to a concussion protocol check.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHonor Huff swings momentum with 4-point play
Feb 14, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Honor Huff (3) shoots a three-point basket against UCF Knights guard George Beale Jr. (3) during the second half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn ImagesUCF looked to be in command halfway through the second period, but Ocala native Brenen Lorient scored five quick points and Huff swung momentum firmly in favor of the Mountaineers with a four-point play.
Huff found space on the right wing around a screen, and George Beale Jr. made contact just before his fallaway shot swished. Devan Cambridge made a bucket on UCF's next trip down the floor, but then West Virginia countered with seven consecutive points to pull within one.
Huff, a senior transfer from Chattanooga, buried another trio of free throws after drawing contact from Chris Johnson near the top of the key to tie the score with 5:13 left. He added nine more points from there to seal the win.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"That's what he does," Dawkins said. "We just needed to be locked in on the gameplan and understand that you have to play for a full 40. You can't have any let-ups on either side of the basketball."
Is UCF headed for another February collapse?
Feb 14, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights guard Themus Fulks (1) shoots over West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jasper Floyd (1) during the second half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn ImagesSaturday's result felt eerily similar to its home defeat to BYU to kick off last February, a must-win game against another potential Big 12 at-large. UCF spiraled with another five straight losses and ended up in the inaugural College Basketball Crown instead.
The Knights have five more matchups this month, all but one are designated outside Quad 1 in the NCAA's NET ranking formula: TCU, at Utah, at BYU, Baylor and Oklahoma State.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTo feel secure about their chances, UCF likely needs to win at least three of those games. Then, it will close the campaign with a return trip to West Virginia with hopes of salvaging a season split.
"We've got to fight out of it. It's just that simple," Dawkins said. "Nothing's going to be given to you in this league. We understand that. We have to look at what we did wrong. We have to make the adjustments necessary and come out with a better performance the next time we step foot on the floor."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: UCF basketball: NCAA Tournament hopes dim after West Virginia loss
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