UCF makes last-second stop to defeat Oregon State in College Basketball Crown first round

• The Knights were led by 15 points each from Nils Machowski and Tyler Hendricks, both of whom entered the transfer portal last week.
• UCF will face Big 12 rival Cincinnati in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
• Eight UCF players have entered the transfer portal since it opened last week.

Nils Machowski and Tyler Hendricks extended their UCF basketball careers, and their team’s stay in Las Vegas, for at least another game.

The duo, who both entered their names into the transfer portal last week, scored 15 points apiece for the shorthanded Knights as they fended off a last-second shot from Oregon State for a 76-75 victory Tuesday in the opening round of the inaugural College Basketball Crown.

Darius Johnson also had 15 and Moustapha Thiam sank a go-ahead free throw with 55 seconds left for UCF (18-16), which will renew acquaintances with Big 12 rival Cincinnati at 7 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals. Cincy breezed past DePaul 83-61 in Tuesday’s opening game.

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In total, eight UCF players have entered the portal since it opened last week: Machowski, Hendricks, Keyshawn Hall, Jaylin Sellers, Mikey Williams, JJ Taylor, Rokas Jocius and Cameron Simpson.

Hall, the Big 12’s leading scorer, did not make the trip amid declaring for the NBA draft and planning Zoom meetings with Kansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Arkansas and LSU among other programs. Sellers, Williams, Jocius and Simpson finished the regular season on the sidelines due to various injuries.

Machowski scored UCF’s first five points and led all scorers in the first half with 13 on 5-of-8 shooting. Hendricks registered his first career double-double, matching for the game high with 10 rebounds.

Down its top two scorers, Oregon State erased a nine-point halftime deficit with an efficient offensive performance in the second half. The Beavers (20-13) made 15 of their 30 attempts from the field, anchored by the low-post pair of Liutauras Lelevicius and Maxim Logue (38 combined points).

Damarco Minor appeared to put Oregon State ahead with 5 seconds left, but head coach Wayne Tinkle called the team’s final timeout before the point guard attempted his second-chance shot. On the ensuing play, Lelevicius misfired from 3-point range and Deebo Coleman tracked down the loose ball to run out the clock.

Cincinnati won the lone regular-season showdown with UCF, throttling the Knights in the paint for a 93-83 triumph in Orlando.

Thursday’s rematch will have significant financial ramifications; semifinalists earn a Name, Image and Likeness package of at least $50,000 through the tournament and its corporate partner Vivid Seats.

College Basketball Crown bracket

First round — MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

• Butler 86, Utah 84
• Boise State 89, George Washington 59
• Nebraska 86, Arizona State 78
• Georgetown 85, Washington State 82
• Cincinnati 83, DePaul 61
• UCF 76, Oregon State 75
• Villanova 85, Colorado 64
• Tulane vs. USC, 11 p.m. April 1

Quarterfinals — MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

• Butler vs. Boise State, 7 p.m. April 2
• Nebraska vs. Georgetown, 9:30 p.m. April 2
• Cincinnati vs. UCF, 7 p.m. April 3
• Colorado-Villanova winner vs. Tulane-USC winner, 9:30 p.m. April 3

Semifinals — T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

• Semifinal #1, 1:30 p.m. April 5
• Semifinal #2, 4 p.m. April 5

Final — T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

• Championship game, 5:30 p.m. April 6

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