Baylor Escapes UCF 87-86
Baylor's RayJ Dennis scored 26 points and Miro Agbim hit a critical late free throw to secure an 87-86 win over UCF. The Bears held off a furious Knights rally in the closing minutes, further solidifying their NCAA tournament resume. The narrow victory keeps Baylor in contention for a strong March Madness seed.
The game-winning point came from Obi Agbim, who was fouled on a 3-point attempt with just 1.3 seconds left on the clock. After missing the first free throw, he made the second to give Baylor the lead and intentionally missed the third to run out the clock. UCF's Riley Kugel had a career-high 26 points, leading a fierce comeback for the Knights. A 17-6 run by UCF, capped by two free throws from Devan Cambridge, tied the game at 86-86 with only 25 seconds remaining before Agbim's decisive trip to the line. While the initial summary mentioned RayJ Dennis, it was Cameron Carr who matched his 26-point total for Baylor. Carr was incredibly efficient, shooting 6-of-13 from the floor, 4-of-8 from three-point range, and a perfect 10-for-10 on free throws. The victory was a crucial road win for Baylor, improving their record to 15-14 overall and 5-11 in the tough Big 12 conference. For UCF, the heartbreaking loss dropped them to 20-8 on the season and 9-7 in conference play. Baylor built a significant lead by halftime, going into the break with a 56-42 advantage. The Knights stormed back in the second half, even managing to tie the game in the final minute, but were unable to secure the lead. Four Baylor players scored in double figures, with Dan Skillings Jr. adding 15 points and Isaac Williams IV contributing 14 to the effort. Baylor's freshman Tounde Yessoufou also made his mark, scoring nine points to set a new program record for most points in a season by a freshman with 511. Up next, Baylor will face another road test against Houston, while UCF will look to bounce back.
