SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Just when it looked like the Runnin' Utes were going to recover from a forgetful first half, Central Florida's Josh Peppers started knocking down shots prolifically.

The Golden Knights' senior forward knocked down four 3-pointers in the second half and scored a game-high 26 points, leading UCF (7-1) to a 67-61 win over Utah (4-6) Tuesday afternoon in the first round of the San Juan Shootout.

Utah faces the Virginia in a consolation bracket game on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Mountain Time.

Luke Nevill led the Utes with 20 points. Johnnie Bryant made 3-of-8 3-pointers--but shot just 4-for-12 overall--while scoring 15 points. Both Nevill and Bryant collected a game-high eight rebounds.

The Runnin' Utes trailed 28-15 at halftime after committing 14 turnovers and shooting just 25 percent from the field in the first half.

However, Utah came out with a sense of urgency to start the second half and clawed its way back into the game. The Utes outscored Central Florida 22-12 over the next 11 and half minutes and trimmed the lead to 40-37.

Nevill and Bryant came up big during Utah's early second-half surge. Bryant knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, while Nevill converted all four free throws and finished off the run with a slam dunk.

Then Peppers, who had made only nine shots from beyond the arc coming into the game, caught fire.

After a 3-pointer by Lawrence Borha at the 6:10 mark brought the Utes within two points at 46-44, Peppers made a jumper, converted two free throws, and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers over the next two and a half minutes. That pushed Central Florida's lead back to 56-49 with just under four minutes to play.

Trailing by nine with 2:21 left, the Utes made another push. Two more free throws by Nevill and a 3-pointer from Shaun Green closed the gap to 62-58. But, Peppers nailed another 3-pointer to put Central Florida on top by seven with just 31 seconds left.

After an abysmal first half, the Utes shot 55 percent from the field, made 6-of-10 attempts from beyond the arc and committed just one turnover in the second half. Utah also shot 85 percent from the free throw line and had a 32-19 edge on the boards for the game.

But, their slow start and inability to get key defensive stops late gave the Runnin' Utes their fifth loss by six points or less this season.

"Until our mindset changes defensively, this is going to continue to be a problem for us," said Ute head coach Ray Giacoletti. "They (Central Florida) wanted it more. We need to get tougher. I wish I had the magic words to make that happen."

Weber St. 59, S. Utah 57: At Ogden, Dan Henrys finger roll with 1:11 left in the game lifted Weber State to a victory over Southern Utah.

Neither team scored after Henrys basket, and Southern Utahs Orlando Griego missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

David Patten led the Wildcats (7-5) with 11 points and eight rebounds while Tyler Billings came off the bench to add 10 points.

Steve Barnes, who led the Thunderbirds (8-4) with 14 points, hit a pair of free throws that started a 12-0 run which put SUU ahead 48-43 with 8:59 left in the game. Griego also reached double figures for SUU with 12 points.

Weber State outrebounded SUU 40-21 with Arturas Valeika pulling down 13, including an offensive rebound that he put back for a score to tie the game 57-57 with 2:13 left in the game.

Weber State shot just 29.6 percent in the first half -- compared to Southern Utah's 12-of-24 shooting -- but hit seven of its first 10 shots in the second half to take a 43-36 lead less than six minutes into it. WSUs Dezmon Harris scored seven of his eight points during that stretch.

Idaho State 76 UVSC 62: At Pocatello, ID, the Utah Valley State men's basketball team lost to Idaho State. The loss drops the Wolverines to 6-5 while Idaho State upped its record to 5-6.

Ryan Toolson led UVSC with 19 points and David Heck added 11 points. Jordan Brady led UVSC in rebounding with seven.

UVSC shot 41 percent from the field while the Bengals' shot 48. The telling stat of the game was on the boards where Idaho State out rebounded the Wolverines 41-20, with 15 coming on the offensive end.

"Idaho State played with more energy, passion and determination," UVSC coach Dick Hunsaker said. "They beat us to loose balls. Their offensive rebounding was terrific and our rebounding was atrocious."

Idaho State was led by David Schroeder's 24 points and Akbar Abdul-Ahad's 16. Schroeder also had a game-high 11 rebounds.

UVSC led 33-32 at halftime. The lead changed hands four times in the first six minutes of the second half before Idaho State took the lead for good at 45-43 with 13:48 left in the game on a basket by Demetrius Monroe.

The Bengals built a 53-46 lead two minutes later. UVSC then fought back and came within one at 55-54 with eight minutes remaining after 3-pointers by Toolson, Josh Olsen and two free throws by Richard Troyer.

But the Wolverines got no closer as ISU went on a 20-4 run over the next six minutes to lead by as many as 17 points at 75-68 with just under two minutes to play.

"They played a much more determined game," Hunsaker said. "In the second half they did what they wanted with us."

UVSC played well in the first half and jumped out to an early 11-3 lead thanks to three 3-pointers by Heck in the first six minutes. The Bengals came back to take a 15-14 lead with 9:25 left until halftime thanks to the shooting of Schroeder who hit two 3-pointers in a two minute stretch.

The lead changed hands eight times in the first half. Idaho State's biggest lead was 25-22 following a put back by Matt Stucki with 6:56 remaining in the half. Peterson gave UVSC its biggest lead at 33-28 on a 3-pointer with 2:45 on the clock. The Wolverines held a slim 33-32 lead at halftime.

The Wolverines return to action on Friday when they host Southern Utah at 7 p.m. in the McKay Center.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C5.