Score Predictions for West Virginia vs. UCF

It'll be the final time that the West Virginia Mountaineers will play inside Hope Coliseum this year, and they'll be looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Kansas State earlier in the week. The UCF Knight come into this one having dropped a pair of close games and need this win to boost its chances for the NCAA Tournament.

Can the Mountaineers finish strong at home? Here's our picks.

Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 73, UCF 71

Beating a team twice in Big 12 play is incredibly difficult, especially when it's the final game of the year, and that opponent has everything to play for. In typical West Virginia fashion, they had everything set up for them to officially re-enter the NCAA Tournament conversation. All they had to do was beat a poor Kansas State team on the road, which would have given them an 18-12 record heading into a Quad 2 matchup here with UCF.

You all know how this works by now, right? WVU will get back in the win column, making fans even more frustrated that they couldn't handle their business earlier in the week. I'm pretty sure this is part of the script all Mountaineer athletics follow.

In the last handful of games, the Mountaineers have done a much better job of pounding the ball inside and attacking the rim. Now, they have missed a boatload of layups and point-blank shots, but they've had some success getting to the cup. UCF has one of the worst two-point defenses in college basketball and has a tendency to foul a ton. It'll be a nailbiter, but I'll take the Mountaineers.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 67, UCF 66

West Virginia has been a bit of an enigma this season. A group that came together over the summer, surrounded by optimism, didn’t live up to the hype early in the season, but they have grown and improved as the season progressed.

The up downs they have endured this season made them one of the most unpredictable teams in the country. Adjusting night in and night out as they all navigate the toughest conference in the country for the first time together made for some frustrating nights, and at times, the team looked fatigued.

The Mountaineers have played well at home this season, knocking off a pair of ranked opponents in Kansas and BYU, but had some dumbfounding losses against Utah and Baylor. Then, add in the most recent loss at Kansas State, a team without its top two leading scorers and a group they beat earlier in the season.

WVU looked fatigued following the effort against BYU and two days later, flew halfway across the country, and fell behind by 19 points in the second half. The sense of urgency kicked in, and they clawed all the way back within three with just under 50 seconds remaining before falling short 65-63.

West Virginia, again, will have to fight off a team looking to avenge an earlier-season loss. UCF has lost five of its last eight games, including falling at home to Oklahoma State for the second time this season on Tuesday night.

The Mountaineers had an extra day off between these games, and with family in town and with the postseason still in play, West Virginia might have the legs to capture one more win before heading to the Big 12 tournament. WVU plays tough down the stretch to eke out a 67-66 win.