Knights can't overcome Southern Miss, fall 78-74

UCF (18-7, 7-4) couldn't catch a break on the road against conference rival Southern Miss (21-4, 8-2) Saturday, falling 78-74. The Golden Eagles outscored UCF in the first half, and that momentum carried over to hand the Knights a second loss to USM, good for a season sweep.

"It is tough to get down on the road," head coach Donnie Jones said in a release. "We didn't quit and battled back. You can't miss free throws on the road. Every point matters."

Sophomore guard Isaiah Sykes' career-high of 27 points (11-of-14 shooting) paired with 10 rebounds wasn't enough to help the Knights overcome the Golden Eagles. It was Sykes' fifth double-double for the season.

"We're really proud of Isaiah; he gave us everything he had," Jones said.

The game was a battle at the free-throw line and a fight for rebounds. The Knights struggled at the stripe, going 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the line whereas the Golden Eagles made 29-of-37. Southern Miss outrebounded UCF by seven and had two more offensive boards than the Knights.

Southern Miss went on an 11-4 run to put the Knights behind by 10 points at the end of the first half, but UCF was able to make a comeback and led by as many as three points midway through the second half.

The Golden Eagles caught fire late, though, and found themselves on the right end of some charging calls, which helped them seal the game.

Junior forward Keith Clanton, who has played an important role for the Knights in some of their biggest wins, was in foul trouble most of the game and fouled out by the end of the contest.

UCF, now a game and a half behind Southern Miss and Memphis (both 8-2 in conference) in the standings and in fourth place in Conference USA, will now have a week off before hosting East Carolina (12-12, 3-8) Saturday at 7 p.m. at the UCF Arena.