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Feb. 9, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. - UCF women's basketball travels to Georgia to take on Atlantic Sun rivals Georgia State on Thursday at 6 p.m. before taking on Mercer on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Golden Knights enter Thursday's game with a 13-7 mark on the season and 11-2 in the A-Sun, while Georgia State is 11-9 overall and 9-4 in the conference and Mercer is 8-12 overall and 6-7 in the league.
Junior Celeste Hudson leads UCF in points with 11.2 per game, while senior Ali Roberts and sophomore Francine Houston are also in double digits with 10.9 and 10.4 points per game, respectively. Junior Shelby Weber leads the Golden Knights in rebounds with 6.8 boards per outing. Sophomore Lashaunda Slade leads the Black and Gold in assists with 4.05 per game, while Weber also leads the team in blocks with 2.35 per game.
UCF currently tops the Atlantic Sun with an 11-2 (.846) mark in conference play, while Georgia State is second with a 9-4 (.692) mark. In the A-Sun statistics, the Golden Knights rank first in scoring defense (55.5 per game), blocked shots (5.85 per game), field goal percentage defense (35.4%) and scoring margin (+4.5), while they are second in rebounding margin (+4.2) and defensive rebounds (27.2 per game).
Individually, Hudson ranks 17th in scoring, while Roberts is 20th and Houston is 22nd. Slade is fourth in assists among A-Sun players and Hudson is 10th with 2.89 per game. Roberts is also fifth in the conference in field goal percentage with 48.9%, while Takira Allen is 15th with 41.3%. Hudson ranks third among A-Sun players in steals with 2.42 per game. Ranked second and fourth in the blocked shots department are Weber and Roberts, while Allen is 12th. Houston (1.80 per game) and Hudson (1.74 per game) rank 10th and 11th in 3-point field goals made, respectively.
Last time out, the Golden Knights defeated Jacksonville, 68-49. UCF had four players in double-digits with Weber and Hudson leading the way with 12 points apiece, while Houston and Keunta Miles also had 11 each. The Black and Gold had nine players who saw action in the game with all nine scoring at one point in the game. Slade led the team in rebounds with nine and assists with six. Weber also led the Golden Knights in blocks with five.
A-Sun preseason Player of the Year, Patechia Hartman, leads the way for Georgia State with 17.1 points per game, while April Clyburn is also in double-digits with 11.9 points per game. Clyburn leads the Lady Panthers in rebounds with 9.2 boards per game. Hartman also leads the team in assists with 4.94 per outing and steals with 2.18 per game.
Georgia State is currently second in the A-Sun standings with a 9-4 (.692) mark. In the A-Sun statistics, the Lady Panthers rank second in field goal percent defense (36.0%), scoring margin (+0.8), scoring defense (60.0 per game). They also rank third in rebounding margin (+2.7) and defensive rebounds (26.55 per game).
Individually, Hartman leads the A-Sun in scoring, while Clyburn is 14th, Monica Thomas is 24th and Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen is 29th. Clyburn is second in field goal percentage, while Hartman is 10th. Hartman is also second in assists, third in free throw percentage, fourth in steals and 10th in defensive rebounds. Clyburn is ranked second in offensive rebounds, fourth in rebounding, eighth in defensive rebounds and 13th in free throw percentage.
Last time out, Georgia State defeated Gardner-Webb, 56-47. Roegiers-Jensen led the Lady Panthers with 23 points, while Clyburn had 11. Vatai Smith led the team in rebounds with nine, while Hartman had four assists and three steals.
Thursday's game will be the 41st time that UCF and Georgia State have met on the basketball court with the Panthers leading the series 29-11. UCF and Georgia State last played on January 22, 2005 at UCF Arena in Orlando with the Golden Knights defeating the Lady Panthers, 66-54.
Jessica Miller leads Mercer with 12.4 points per game, while Karen Hickman has 9.7. Tanya Kessenich leads the Bears in rebounds with 7.9 boards per game and blocks with 2.3 per game. Sally Skeldon leads the team in assists with 4.16 per game.
Mercer is currently sixth in the A-Sun standings with a .462 winning percentage. In the A-Sun statistics, the Bears rank second in blocked shots (5.15 per game) while also ranking third in three-point field goal percentage (32.5%), fourth in scoring defense (62.3 per game), field goal percent defense (37.6%), steals (9.15 per game) and assists (13.35 per game) and fifth in three-point field goals made (5.30 per game), scoring margin (-2.8) and field goal percentage (38.1%).
Individually, Miller ranks 11th among A-Sun players in scoring, while Hickman is 25th. Kessenich and Miller are sixth and seventh in rebounding, while Skeldon is third in assists. Miller also ranks second in steals with Skeldon 11th. In blocked shots, Kessenich is third, while Miller is sixth and Zsaquez Fluker is tied for eighth.
Last time out, the Mercer Bears defeated Campbell, 67-57. Hickman led the Bears' attack with 25 points, while Miller had 15. Kessenich led Mercer in blocks with four, while Miller led the team in assists (4) and steals (3).
Saturday marks the 41st meeting between the Golden Knights and Bears with the Knights leading the series, 23-17. UCF and Mercer last played on January 20, 2005 at UCF Arena in Orlando with the Black and Gold defeating the Bears, 60-45.
The Golden Knights return home on Thursday, February 17 when they host Gardner-Webb in game one of a doubleheader with the men's basketball team, who will take on Mercer at 7:30. Tickets for both games are still available.