UCF-Texas Tech score today, highlights from Big 12 basketball game

ORLANDO — For the second time this season, UCF fans stormed the court at Addition Financial Arena.

The Knights kicked off January with an upset of a ranked Kansas squad and ended it by beating No. 11 Texas Tech Saturday, Jan. 31. Final score: UCF 88, Red Raiders 80.

Fans actually walked onto the hardwood twice. A late foul was called 0.2 seconds before the final buzzer, so the referees put time back on the clock and cleared the floor. After two TTU free throws, the fans returned with plenty to celebrate.

At the halfway point of their Big 12 men’s basketball schedule, the Knights (17-4, 6-3 Big 12) have now won three games in a row. They ended Texas Tech’s (16-5, 6-2) five-game win streak.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal provided live updates during the contest. Scroll down for a play-by-play recap.

Watch UCF vs. Texas Tech live on Fubo (free trial)

Table of Contents

UCF vs Texas Tech score updates

TEAMS	FIRST HALF	SECOND HALF	FINAL SCORE
TEXAS TECH	40	40	80
UCF	44	44	88

UCF delivered a Big 12 basketball shock and massively improved its NCAA Tournament odds with an 88-80 upset of No. 11 Texas Tech at Addition Financial Arena on Saturday, Jan. 31.

Texas Tech misfired on four late 3-pointers, and Chris Johnson threw down a game-sealing dunk with 25.3 seconds left in regulation. Themus Fulks finished with a team-high 21 points and seven assists, and both John Bol and Jamichael Stillwell notched double-doubles; Bol scored a career-high 14 points.

UCF’s student section stormed the court prematurely as officials called a shooting foul on Johnson with 0.2 seconds left, creating a nearly 10-minute delay in wrapping up the game.

Texas Tech missed a pair of 3-pointers, and Chris Johnson breezed the other way for a fastbreak dunk to give UCF an 85-79 lead with 26.3 seconds left in regulation.

Jamichael Stillwell swiped the ball off Christian Anderson’s knee and out of bounds, a crucial turnover to keep UCF ahead 81-77 with 2:46 left.

The Knights have four players in double figures, led by Themus Fulks and Jordan Burks with 17 points apiece.

Texas Tech is shooting 60% from the field, but UCF has a 32-20 rebounding edge and a 21-4 scoring advantage on second-chance points.

Themus Fulks weaved through traffic, and around a John Bol screen in the lane, to flip in a layup and put UCF ahead of No. 11 Texas Tech 75-69 with 6:44 left in regulation.

Fulks has nine of his 17 points in the second half, in addition to seven assists. UCF has a 19-2 advantage on second-chance points thanks to 11 offensive rebounds.

JT Toppin, the 2024-25 Big 12 Player of the Year, lead the Red Raiders with 23 points and seven rebounds.

UCF holds a 66-62 lead over No. 11 Texas Tech with 11:29 left, but Texas Tech is not going away quietly. The Red Raiders have hit six straight field goals, and are 11 of 23 overall from 3-point range.

The Knights are dominating on the glass with a 24-14 advantage, turning 10 offensive boards into 20 second-chance points. Themus Fulks and Jordan Burks have 15 points apiece, and John Bol has 14 points with 10 rebounds.

It’s not just a football tradition.

For the last few seasons, the UCF Knights have also hosted an annual Space Game in basketball, honoring the school’s connection to NASA and space exploration. And just like in football, they debuted alternate uniforms for the occasion Saturday.

The threads are Canaveral blue with “Space U” written across the chest.

John Bol sealed his second double-double of his sophomore season with a putback, plus a foul, just before the under-16 media timeout. He’ll go to the line looking to extend the Knights’ 56-50 lead with 15:42 left in regulation.

Bol, a 7-foot-2 center from South Sudan, has 12 points and 10 rebounds. He’s also forced Texas Tech into three traveling turnovers with his length on the defensive end.

Themus Fulks is up to 12 points and seven assists for the Knights, and Jordan Burks has 11 points.

UCF closed the first half on a 6-for-8 shooting streak, taking a 44-40 lead over No. 11 Texas Tech into the break.

Jordan Burks has a team-high 11 points for the Knights, who outrebounded the visiting Red Raiders 16-9 with six offensive boards. John Bol has eight points and seven rebounds, but left in the final minute after a lower-body collision with Luke Bamgoye.

Texas Tech went 7 of 17 from 3-point range. Donovan Atwell and Christian Anderson have combined for 21 points. Both Anderson and JT Toppin have two fouls apiece.

UCF sank four consecutive field goal attempts, pulling ahead by as many as seven points, but maintain a 36-33 lead over No. 11 Texas Tech.

Carmelo Pacheco and Riley Kugel knocked down straightaway 3-pointers. Devan Cambridge banked home a floater over former teammate JT Toppin, and Themus Fulks created space in the paint to bury a short jumper. With 3:43 left in the half, the Knights are shooting 53.6% from the floor.

Texas Tech, meanwhile, is 8 of its last 10 and shooting 57.1% overall. Christian Anderson is the first player into double figures on the day, leading all scorers with 10 points.

Texas Tech shot itself back into the game after falling into an eight-point hole, hitting six straight field goals. The Red Raiders and UCF are knotted up 26-26 with 7:17 left until halftime.

John Bol leads the Knights with eight points and five rebounds. Jordan Burks has seven points, and Themus Fulks has six with four assists.

Donovan Atwell has two of Texas Tech’s four 3-point field goals. Christian Anderson paces the Red Raiders with seven points.

UCF has made six of its first 10 shots from the field, taking a 16-10 lead over No. 11 Texas Tech with 13:34 left in the opening half.

John Bol has four points and five rebounds, and the 7-foot-2 sophomore has forced Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin into a pair of traveling calls at the other end. Jordan Burks scored the Knights’ first five points of the afternoon.

Listed as a game-time decision, UCF senior guard Riley Kugel will make his 21st straight start in Saturday’s matchup with No. 11 Texas Tech.

Kugel is joined in the Knights’ starting five by Themus Fulks, Jamichael Stillwell, Jordan Burks and John Bol. Reserve center Jeremy Foumena is unavailable for the third straight game following an apparent leg injury sustained at Iowa State.

Texas Tech counters with Christian Anderson, Jaylen Petty, LeJuan Watts, Donovan Atwell and reigning Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin.

Riley Kugel, UCF’s leading scorer for the 2025-26 season, is officially a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against Texas Tech, according to the Big 12 Conference’s final availability report.

Kugel scored 17 points in Tuesday’s home win over Arizona State, and 22 last weekend in a road victory over Colorado. For the year, he’s averaging 15.1 points per game and shooting 40.6% from 3-point range, starting all 20 games at shooting guard.

If Kugel is unavailable, Devan Cambridge, who spent the previous two years at Texas Tech, could make his third start of the year. Junior combo guard Chris Johnson, however, projects as more of a like-for-like switch in the Knights’ lineup.