Sparked by another memorable performance from senior guard Darius Johnson, UCF booked its spot in the championship game of the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament.
Johnson, playing his 124th game for the Knights, set a new career-high with 42 points — including 10 in overtime — in a 104-98 victory over Villanova at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. UCF (20-16), which clinched a minimum NIL payout of $100,000 from the tournament and its corporate partner Vivid Seats, can triple its winnings at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the final against Nebraska.
Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound Maryland native, produced the highest single-game scoring output for any UCF player since 2009, surpassing Keyshawn Hall's 40-point outburst in January at Arizona State. He delivered in the clutch, sending the game to overtime by swishing a tying 3-pointer with 7.6 seconds left.
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UCF opened the extra period on an 8-2 run, bookended by Johnson layups — including a three-point play. Villanova (21-15) pulled back within a bucket after Eric Dixon knocked down a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left, but Johnson tracked down a key offensive rebound after a pair of missed Moustapha Thiam free throws and sealed the win at the line.
Johnson went 11 of 19 from the field, hitting three of the Knights' 15 made 3-point field goals. UCF shot 47.6% and held the lead for more than 38½ minutes.
Jordan Ivy-Curry and Dior Johnson shined off the Knights' shortened bench. Ivy-Curry had 18 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes, and Johnson chipped in a career-high 13 points — his first outing in double figures since Nov. 22.
