Feb. 16, 2007
Women's Basketball Notes at Memphis in PDF Format
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ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF women's basketball team looks to cap off its final road trip with a win when the Golden Knights (8-18, 3-10 Conference USA) visit Memphis (3-24, 0-13 C-USA) on Saturday, Feb. 17 for a 3 p.m. (et) tip-off. UCF is still in the position to move up in the league standings, giving the team a higher seed in the 2007 Conference USA Championship.
Despite its recent loss at UAB, UCF showcased its character during the game's second period. After going down 32-15 at the half, the Golden Knights closed the gap to 44-40, but the comeback fell short. Senior guard Francine Houston (Bradenton, Fla./Southeast HS) sank 20 points in the defeat and remains the team's leading scorer with 13.2 points per game.
Houston is just 13 point shy of becoming the 11th player in UCF history to score 1,000 points in a career. The feat was accomplished earlier this year by senior Celeste Hudson (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS).
Southern Miss defeated Memphis, 85-59, on Thursday night at Elma Roane Fieldhouse despite 13 points from sophomore center Ashley Thornton and 12 points from senior guard Devin Necaise. Necaise is the Tigers' second leading scorer as she averages 11.4 points per outing. Junior forward Aroha Jennings is first in scoring with 11.4 points per game, while Thornton has a team-best 8.2 rebounds per game.
UCF and Memphis met for the first time in 1992-93, resulting in a 79-41 win by the Tigers. The Golden Knights have won the past three meetings, including the most recent - a 77-62 decision at the UCF Arena on Jan 14. With 22 points, senior Keunta Miles led a group of five UCF players who scored in double figures, while Jennings posted a game-high 24 points for the Tigers.
UCF head coach Gail Striegler and Memphis head coach Blair Savage-Lansden share a connection to the Arkansas program. Striegler was a graduate assistant coach at Arkansas from 1990-92 during Savage-Lansden's sophomore season. That year the Lady Razorbacks finished with a 28-4 record en route to winning both the Southwest Conference regular season and tournament titles. The team advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
The Golden Knights conclude the regular season at home against Marshall on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. and East Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF athletics.