Texas suffers loss to Central Florida after leading big

In the immediate aftermath of Texas' stunning 77-71 loss to Central Florida on Wednesday, Longhorns head coach Rodney Terry was searching for answers to some troubling questions.

How did Texas blow a 15-point lead in the second half? Why did Central Florida dominate the glass, which allowed the Knights to overcome 50% shooting from the Longhorns? And what can Texas (12-5, 1-3 Big 12) do to right the ship in conference waters that will only get rougher?

Here are three observations from the Longhorns' home loss:

Central Florida cleaned up on the glass

The Knights (11-5, 2-2) have thrived on the offensive glass all season while Texas ranks second-to-last in the Big 12 in rebounding margin, so perhaps Central Florida's 37-22 rebounding edge shouldn't have come as a surprise. But that domination on the boards proved the difference in a game where both teams shot around 50% from the floor and Texas committed three fewer turnovers than the Knights.

It also overshadowed a big game from Texas guard Ithiel Horton, who started for just the second time since Nov. 15 and scored 20 points. Dillon Mitchell fell one board short of his seventh doubledouble of the season and remains Texas' most consistent rebounder, but no other frontcourt player had more than two rebounds: Dylan Disu had just one board in 21 minutes while battling foul trouble, 6-foot-11 Kadin Shedrick had one rebound in 15 minutes while still battling a nagging back injury, and 6-foot-8 reserve forward Ze'Rik Onyema played just six minutes and didn't have a rebound.

Breaking down the Knights’ big rally

Texas seemed almost certain to even its Big 12 record at 2-2 after Horton drained a jumper to give the Longhorns a 55-40 lead with 14:30 left in the game. But Central Florida leaned into a zone defense even though coach Johnny Dawkins prefers to play manto-man, and Texas struggled to get the ball inside. Twelve of the Longhorns' last 13 shots came from 3-point range, including four made treys. In comparison, UCF attacked the paint and made 10 of its last 13 shots, which included five dunks and layups down the stretch. After taking care of the ball for most of the game, Texas got careless late and committed six turnovers during the final 9 minutes.

Big 12 gantlet doesn’t get easier

The scariest part of Texas' slow start to conference play is the schedule. The Longhorns have yet to enter a Big 12 game against a ranked opponent, even though Texas Tech made an appearance in the latest Associated Press poll. The competition picks up over the next few weeks, when Texas faces six consecutive teams currently ranked by the AP. Joe Lunardi, ESPN's NCAA Tournament analyst, currently projects eight Big 12 teams in the tournament with three — including Texas — on the bubble. An 8-10 record in the power-packed Big 12 will likely ensure a tournament berth, but the Longhorns will need to spring a few upsets during the upcoming six-game stretch to reach that mark.

MIKALA COMPTON/AMERICAN-STATESMAN Texas coach Rodney Terry shows his frustration after his team’s 77-71 loss to Central Florida at Moody Center on Wednesday. With the loss, the Longhorns fell to 1-3 in Big 12 play and face six consecutive games against ranked opponents.