Nov. 11, 2007
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF women's basketball team could not hang on in the second half Sunday afternoon against Coppin State, falling to the Eagles, 74-63, at the new UCF Arena to conclude the UCF Knights Classic.
UCF's record falls to 0-2 on the season, while the Eagles improved to 1-1 with the win.
Three players registered double-digits in points for the Knights, led by Angelica Mealing (Decatur, Ga.) and Marshay White (Rochester, N.Y.), who both posted 17 points. Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) added 10 points for the Black and Gold, while also recording two blocked shots.
The Black and Gold dominated the boards in the contest, grabbing 47 compared to the Eagles' 28. Mealing also led the Knights in rebounds, grabbing nine in the game. Tia Lewis (Poulan, Ga.) was not far behind, pulling down eight boards with Cannon posting seven.
The Eagles opened the game with a 6-2 lead over the Knights, but a three-pointer by Mealing and a pair of free throws from White capped off a 5-0 run for the home team to take the lead, 30-25, at half time.
White scored 11 of her 17 points in the opening period, which included three three-pointers, two of which came during a 9-5 run for the Black and Gold.
The Knights carried their momentum into the second half, with Mealing leading the Black and Gold to a 13-5 run. The freshman guard had six points, two assists and a steal to put UCF up by 12 points, their largest lead of the evening.
With eight minutes left in the contest, the Knights still maintained their 12 point advantage, but Coppin State scored 22 unanswered points to take a 66-56 lead with two minutes to play in the game.
UCF pulled to within seven with 22 seconds left, but could not get any closer. Shalamar Oakley nailed four free throws to end the game.
Oakley paced the Eagles with a game-high 34 points, six steals and six assists. Teammate Rashida Suber added 14 points and five boards for Coppin State.
The Black and Gold shot 44.6% in the contest, which included 54.5% in the second half, compared to only 36.9% for the Eagles. But, Coppin State capitalized on 36 UCF turnovers and made 20 of its 26 free throw attempts in the game.
The Knights return to action Thursday when they travel to Jacksonville for a match-up with North Florida. Tipoff for the contest is scheduled for 7 p.m.
For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also check out UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pics.
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