1 day Ago By Matt Murschel
Even after submitting his name to the transfer portal just last week, Nils Machowski was determined to contribute to UCF ’s first-round contest in the College Basketball Crown Tournament . Coach Johnny Dawkins decided to let him play—and the decision paid off. Machowski delivered a career performance, securing a career-high 15 points as UCF triumphed over Oregon State, 76-75, on Tuesday night at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The Knights will play Cincinnati in the quarterfinals on Thursday (6:30 p.m., FS1).
It would be the second time these teams have faced off this season, with UCF losing 93-83 to the Bearcats at Addition Financial Arena on Feb. 5. Trailing 76-75, Oregon State’s Damarco Minor hit a 2-point shot with 5 seconds left on the clock, but it was waved off after Beavers coach Wayne Tinkle had called a time-out.
UCF held on for the victory. Machowski connected on 55% (5 of 9) shots, including 60% (3 of 5) from 3-point range. Guard Tyler Hendricks, who joined Machowski in the portal last week, also played and had his first double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Darius Johnson scored 15 points, while Moustapha Thiam added 10 points and 9 rebounds. UCF (18-16, 7-13 Big 12) was without its top scorer, Keyshawn Hall , who declared for the 2025 NBA Draft last week and was one of seven players to enter the transfer portal. The Knights went on a 14-4 scoring run in the final five minutes of the first half to build their biggest lead at 45-36.
But Oregon State chipped away at the lead, outsourcing UCF 26-16 in the first 10 minutes of the second half, pushing ahead 62-61 and grabbing their first lead since the 4:42 mark in the first half. Back-to-back buckets by Hendricks and Dallan Coleman pushed the Knights ahead at 65-62. It was the 15th lead change in the game.
Still, it remained a back-and-forth affair as both teams traded the lead over several minutes. Liu Lelevicius led four Oregon State players in double-digits with 20 points, Maxim Luge scored 18, and Minor scored 16. This is the third consecutive season in which the Knights have qualified for a postseason tournament.
They played in the National Invitation Tournament in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Matt Murschel can be reached at [email protected].
