UCF Knights Battle Nebraska Today for ‘The College Basketball Crown’ in Las Vegas
By Space Coast Daily // April 6, 2025
Tipoff is at 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX
ABOVE VIDEO: Check out the best highlights between the UCF Knights and the Villanova Wildcats in The College Basketball Crown on FOX.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – The UCF men’s basketball team is heading to the College Basketball Crown championship after a thrilling 104-98 overtime win over Villanova on Sunday night in Las Vegas. Darius Johnson delivered a legendary performance, scoring a career-high 42 points — the fourth 40-point game in UCF’s Division I history — and setting a program record with 17 made free throws.
Johnson wasted no time getting the Knights started, scoring the first five points of the game. Dallan “Deebo” Coleman added two early threes, helping UCF jump out to a 13-7 lead. The game stayed tight through most of the first half, with Dior Johnson sinking a corner three off a fortunate deflection to give UCF a 28-24 lead. Villanova briefly surged ahead, but UCF answered quickly and took a 48-44 advantage into the break.
Darius led all scorers at halftime with 19 points, moving into eighth place on UCF’s all-time scoring list. Coleman added 10 points, and the Knights hit eight threes in the first half while holding Villanova’s top scorer, Eric Dixon, to just one field goal.
UCF opened the second half strong, stretching the lead to 64-53 after a dunk by Moustapha Thiam and a transition three by Johnson. The Knights maintained a double-digit lead for several minutes, but Villanova clawed back with a 15-3 run, eventually taking an 83-77 lead with 2:39 to go.
Still, UCF never quit. Johnson and Hendricks combined to bring the Knights within two. After a Villanova bucket, Thiam answered with a dunk, and Ivy-Curry added a layup following a Villanova free throw miss. With just nine seconds left, Johnson hit a deep three to tie the game at 88, sending it to overtime.
In the extra period, UCF never trailed. Johnson and Ivy-Curry scored 15 of UCF’s 16 points in overtime, with Darius hitting a key and-one and sealing the win at the line. Villanova cut the lead to one possession three times but couldn’t overtake the Knights.
Johnson finished with 42 points, hitting three threes and going 17-of-20 from the line. His 17 free throws broke the previous school record, and his 20 attempts tied the second-most in program history. UCF also hit a season-high 15 three-pointers and has now made 10+ threes in each of its five postseason games.
The win marks UCF’s 20th of the season, giving head coach Johnny Dawkins his third 20-win campaign with the Knights and the program’s 10th at the Division I level. It also marks UCF’s first trip to a postseason championship game since winning the Atlantic Sun Tournament in 2005.
The Knights will face Nebraska for the College Basketball Crown title on Sunday, April 6 at 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
