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:

More: Rodney Terry critiques UCF's 'Horns Down' after Texas' loss: 'It looks very classless'

Central Florida cleaned up on the glass

The Knights (11-5, 2-2) have thrived on the offensive 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 difference in a game where both teams shot around 50% from the floor 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 double-double 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.

They said it: “They were just very physical on the glass. Myself and the other bigs, we didn't take to them physically, and that's on us. We know coming into the rest of Big 12 play that we have to be just as physical as every other team.” — Texas forward Dylan Disu

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 man-to-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 five 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 final 9 minutes.

They said it: “I'll put a lot of the onus on myself to get our guys (to) want to be competitive, to the point to where, when you lose, we’ve got some tears in that room over there.” — Texas head coach Rodney Terry

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.

They said it: “We’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror and see the different areas that we need to improve on, individually and as a team. We’ve got to be better at playing a full game. We’ve got big-time opponents coming in and the games aren't going to get any easier, so we’ve got to figure it out.” — Texas guard Max Abmas

What’s next for Texas

Baylor makes the short drive south for an 11 a.m. Saturday game on the heels of a gut-wrenching 68-64 loss to Kansas State on Tuesday. The No. 9 Bears (14-3, 3-1), a perennial conference contender under longtime coach Scott Drew, don’t have anyone among the Big 12’s top 10 scorers but boast a balanced attack that ranks second in the league in points (84.8 ppg) and field-goal percentage (.496). They also have lots of confidence when facing Texas, considering the Bears have won 13 of the past 15 meetings.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Three things we saw in Texas basketball's loss to Central Florida