Isaiah Sykes scored 22 points and Tristan Spurlock added 19 points as the UCF men’s basketball team returned to its winning ways with an 83-75 victory over Tulsa Saturday at the UCF Arena. The Knights (18-9, 8-5 Conference USA) connected on a season-high 31 free throws to snap their three-game losing skid.
The hosts led for the majority of the second half and made 22 foul shots after intermission to knock of the Golden Hurricane (14-13, 6-7).
“I am happy for these guys,” UCF head coach Donnie Jones said. “That is the team that we have been all year long. I thought we played with some toughness and played together. We played defense every possession.”
Tulsa led 36-35 at the break, but was outscored 48-39 in the second stanza. Spurlock hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight total points during a 12-3 UCF run midway through the second half that gave the Knights a 12-point edge.
UCF was playing the second game of a four-contest homestand.
The Knights shot 31-of-42 (73.8 percent) from the line and recorded 14 assists on 22 made field goals with only nine turnovers for the game.
Sykes, who shot 10-of-15 at the line, also added seven rebounds and four assists. Keith Clanton made 9-of-12 foul shots and finished with 15 points, four assists, four steals and four blocks.
Pat Swilling, Jr., who connected on five triples, led Tulsa with 19 points.
The Knights will play their final non-league game of the season Tuesday when they host Georgia Southwestern at 7 p.m. UCF’s last 2012-13 home contest is next Saturday against No. 19 Memphis.