The UCF Knights men’s basketball team secured a 102-91 win over Quinnipiac at Addition Financial Arena on Tuesday night. Center Jeremey Foumena led the team with a career-high 18 points and contributed to the Knights’ strong defensive showing, as they outrebounded Quinnipiac 43-29.
Early in the game, UCF fell behind after an initial scoring run by Riley Kugel. The Knights faced a two-minute scoring drought, allowing Quinnipiac to take a brief lead. However, layups from Carmelo Pacheco helped UCF regain momentum before another back-and-forth exchange saw Quinnipiac move ahead again midway through the first half.
Despite offensive challenges and a scoring drought of more than three minutes, UCF stayed close by making seven out of eight free throws during that stretch. Devan Cambridge and Kugel hit consecutive three-pointers to tie the game at 39, but foul trouble for UCF allowed Quinnipiac to rebuild their lead. At halftime, UCF trailed 52-47, with Quinnipiac shooting over 53% from beyond the arc.
In the second half, both teams traded baskets before UCF found its rhythm. A quick 7-0 run cut Quinnipiac’s lead to one point and forced a timeout. Starting guard Themus Fulks played a key role with 13 assists—the most by a Knight since Brandon Goodwin’s performance in 2015—and now leads UCF with 54 assists this season.
Following the timeout, Cambridge’s free throws gave UCF its first lead since early in the game. Chris Johnson extended that lead with a three-pointer. Johnson finished with 11 points and made three of five attempts from long range. Five Knights scored in double digits: Foumena (18), Kugel (16), Jordan Burks (13), John Bol (13), and Johnson (11). Bol also matched his career high with six rebounds and set a new personal best in points.
UCF dominated inside with 54 points in the paint—a program first under head coach Johnny Dawkins—and held Quinnipiac scoreless for nearly seven minutes during the second half. Two dunks from Foumena increased their advantage as they limited Quinnipiac to only 19 points until late in the game.
After this win, UCF will play at home against VMI on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Addition Financial Arena.
“Competitors,” said leading scorer Jeremey Foumena when asked to describe his team after the victory.
Tickets for single games and full season are available for purchase online or through the ticket office.
UCF is part of the Big 12 Conference and aims to provide academic and athletic opportunities while enhancing its reputation nationally through competitive sports programs.
