As the final horn echoed through the packed Addition Financial Arena late Wednesday, Darius Johnson sprinted toward the UCF student section, eager to share in the celebration of his incredible night with Knight Nation for possibly the last time. The senior point guard had just concluded a stunning performance, lighting up the scoreboard with 36 points — 27 in the second half. His electrifying play energized the crowd and propelled the Knights to a 83-70 victory over Oklahoma State on Senior Night. The moment felt like it came out of a Hollywood screenplay, with Johnson ready and eager to take the lead. It was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season for the Knights. However, Johnson isn’t ready to let it end there. “I told the guys in the locker room to just keep this train rolling. The season’s not over yet. We can still find a way even when it seems impossible. So let’s keep pushing through,” Johnson said. UCF (16-14, 7-12 Big 12) has won three of its last four games but has lost six consecutive road games, with the last victory at Arizona State on Jan. 14. The Knights wrap up the regular season at West Virginia (18-12, 9-10). “Getting off to a good start is crucial,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said, acknowledging that falling behind can give opponents momentum. UCF has struggled on the road, trailing by double digits in recent games against TCU and Oklahoma State . Despite these challenges, Dawkins believes the Knights are improving. “We’re playing better. The TCU game was tough, but we can move on from it and focus on the next play,” he said. After allowing nearly 86 points per game during a seven-game losing streak, the Knights have toughed up on defense, allowing 76.8 during the recent four-game stretch. Johnson also has been on a tear, averaging 22.8 points per game since the losing streak. The Knights will be without injured guards Jordan Ivy-Curry and Mikey Williams . Williams, seen on crutches before Wednesday’s game, injured himself in practice and will be out for an unspecified number of games, according to Dawkins. Ivy-Curry has been dealing with an injury for several weeks and his status is day-to-day. Without Ivy-Curry and Williams, the Knights will have to lean on their bench, particularly Nils Machowski. On Wednesday, the junior guard stepped up in his teammate’s absence, scoring 9 points with a season-high 8 rebounds and 2 assists in 26 minutes. “He’s getting more and more comfortable,” said Dawkins. “He’s a versatile guard and can play the one [point guard]. He can play some two [shooting guard]. He’s got a good size, so he can make plays by rebounding the basketball, and I was just happy to see him out there competing and making plays to help his team.” UCF is looking to build momentum as it heads into next week’s Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. The Knights are projected to be the No. 13 seed and could face No. 12 Utah in Game 1 on Tuesday. Last season, UCF won its first-round game, defeating Oklahoma State 77-62 before losing to BYU 87-73 in the second round. Any hopes of making a postseason tournament will depend on a strong finish. Their most likely destinations are the National Invitation Tournament or the College Basketball Crown.
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