Feb. 9, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Freshman forward and Orlando native Kristin Thomas (Edgewater HS) recorded the third double-double of her career as the UCF women's basketball team took a 78-73 win over visiting Houston in Conference USA action on Friday night at UCF Arena. It was the second consecutive win for the Golden Knights (8-16, 3-8 C-USA).
Logging 16 minutes of playing time, Thomas netted 10 points and game-high 10 rebounds as she was one of five UCF players to finish the game scoring in double figures. Senior forward Keunta Miles (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./South Broward HS) sank a team-high 17 points, while senior guard Celeste Hudson (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) added 12. Both sophomore center Jackie Akers (Naples, Fla./North Fort Myers HS) and freshman guard Shante Cummings (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti HS) posted career high with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Miles hit the first shot of the game and the Golden Knights controlled the pace as the two teams traded baskets for the opening seven minutes. At the 13:26 mark, a jumper by junior forward Whitney James gave Houston (7-14, 4-7 C-USA) its first lead, which held until 7:24 when senior guard Francine Houston (Bradenton, Fla./Southeast HS) sparked a 7-0 run for the Black & Gold.
UH pulled within a point at 21-20 as junior guard Tye Jackson knocked down a pair of foul shots, but the Golden Knights owned a 31-26 lead at the half.
The Cougars netted the first four points of the second period and continued to pressure the ball, taking 39-38 advantage on Sunshine Misa-Uli's lay-up at 15:09. UCF regained the lead at 10:29 and pulled away on a 21-2 run.
The Golden Knights ended the game shooting 47.6% from the field and also held a 43-39 margin on the boards. Led by Jackson's game-high 30 points, Houston sank 41.7% from the floor.
The Golden Knights will cap off their three-game homestand on Sunday, Feb. 11 when they take on Rice at 2 p.m. in a game that is part of UCF's National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebration. 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.