Nov. 25, 2007
Philadelphia, Pa. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF women's basketball team had three players score in double-digits to defeat La Salle, 68-57, at the Tom Gola Arena Sunday afternoon. Tia Lewis (Poulan, Ga.) led the Knights with 18 points and 14 rebounds and Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) added 16 points and 12 rebounds, while D'Nay Daniels (Atlanta, Ga.) had a career-high 13 points in the game.
The Knights improve to 3-3 on the season with the win, while La Salle drops its record to 2-3 overall.
UCF never trailed the entire contest, shooting 52.2% from the field as well as shooting a season-high 73.1% from the free throw line. Cannon matched her season-high with eight free throw baskets and Marshay White (Rochester, N.Y.) added four. White totaled eight points, had a game-high three steals and added three assists.
UCF had 32 points in the paint in the game, while the Explorers score the majority of its points from outside, with only 12 points in the paint.
Defensively, the Knights had seven steals and three blocked shots, while also holding La Salle's Carlene Hightower to only 10 points and four rebounds. Coming into the contest Hightower was averaging 23.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. White registered a game-high three steals for the Black and Gold.
UCF opened the game on a 19-7 run, with both Daniels and Lewis scoring 6 points apiece. A three-pointer by Daniels put the Knights up by 13, their biggest lead of the first half, with 6:28 to go. A trio of three-pointers put La Salle within four points of UCF with 4:09 to play, but a jumper by Angelica Mealing (Decature, Ga.) and a pair of free throws from Chelsie Wiley (Riviera Beach, Fla.) put the Black and Gold ahead by eight. At the conclusion of the first half, the Knights held a 30-24 advantage over the Explorers.
The Black and Gold never lost the lead throughout the opening period, shooting 44% from the floor, while also shooting 77.8% from the free throw line.
The Knights came out of the locker room with an 8-3 run, forcing La Salle to take a time out. A made free throw by Cannon put UCF up by 10 with mid-way through the second half. Another made free throw by White gave the Knights a 12-point advantage, their biggest lead of the final period, before a free throw by Lewis sealed the game and the UCF victory.
The Knights return home Wednesday to face in-state rival Bethune-Cookman at 5 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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