Jaylin Sellers scored a game-high 18 as UCF never trailed in a 72-59 victory over visiting West Virginia in a Big 12 conference game Tuesday night in Orlando, Fla.
Ibrahima Diallo scored 14 points and Antwann Jones had 13 off the bench for the Knights (12-6, 3-3 in the Big 12), who have won six of their last nine games.
West Virginia, which was coming off a 91-85 home upset of then-No. 3 Kansas on Saturday, never got its offense going against UCF’s stingy man-to-man defense.
The Mountaineers (7-12, 2-4) have now lost seven of their last 10 games.
UCF led 62-44 with 6:48 left when West Virginia went on a 9-2 to trim the deficit to 11 points, but the Mountaineers were held to six points in the final four-plus minutes.
Josiah Harris led West Virginia with 15 points, and the Mountaineers also got nine from Kerr Kriisa, who went 3-of-8 on 3-pointers.
RaeQuan Battle, West Virginia’s leading scorer at 19.5 points per game, was ejected with 10:52 left after receiving two technical fouls following an off-the-ball foul. He finished with five points.
Central Florida led 37-24 at halftime — the first time the Knights have led at the half against a Big 12 opponent this season — after Thierno Sylla knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Sellers had nine of the Knights’ first 14 points of the game.
The Knights were quick out of the gates, racing out to a 6-0 lead just 1:45 into the game after Shemarri Allen fed C.J. Walker for an emphatic dunk.
The Mountaineers trailed 27-14 after Quinn Slazinski knocked down a 3-pointer with 5:35 left in the half.
West Virginia beat UCF 83-45 in the only other matchup between the schools on Nov. 24, 2017.
– Field Level Media
