Jan. 10, 2008
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF women's basketball team hits the road for the first time in 2008 when they travel to Dallas, Texas on Jan. 11 to face SMU in a Conference USA match-up at Moody Coliseum. Tip-off for the contest is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
The Series
Friday's meeting is the fourth between the two teams, with SMU holding the 3-0 advantage over the Knights dating back to the 2005-06 season, UCF's first year as part of Conference USA.
The Knights and the Mustangs last faced-off in last season's Conference USA Championship, with SMU registering a 79-58 win. Francine Houston paced the Knights with 23 points, which included five three pointers, while Keunta Miles had a game-high 11 rebounds. For SMU, Janielle Dodds led all scorers with 24 points, adding four steals and eight rebounds.
Last Outing
Despite getting 17 points and 15 rebounds from Tia Lewis (Poulan, Ga.), the UCF women's basketball team fell to Southern Miss, 71-54, in its Conference USA opener at the new UCF Arena Saturday night. Lewis' double-double performance was her ninth this season.
Up Next
The Knights continue their two-game league-stint on the road when they travel to Tulsa, Okla., for a meeting with the Golden Hurricane. The contest is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
Among the Nation's Best
Lewis is one of only three players in Conference USA averaging a double-double on the season with 13.8 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Her rebounding averaging ranks third in the nation, while ranking atop the C-USA. The freshman also ranks 17th among the nation's best in field goal percentage with a .590 clip, a mark that leads the league.
Strong Performance
Chelsie Wiley averaged 14.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and shot .522 (12-of-23) from the field in UCF's 65-43 win over Stetson and 71-54 loss to Southern Miss in the C-USA opener last week. The redshirt freshman also shot .667 (2-for-3) from behind the arch and hit both attempted foul shots. In the Knights' win, Wiley scored 10 of her 14 points during a 22-2 run in the second half that included two 3-pointers. Against Southern Miss, Wiley shot .667 (6-of-9) from the field and registered two steals. Again Wiley led the Knights on a late second-half rally, scoring four points and getting a steal during an 8-2 run with just over five minutes left in the game.
Previewing SMU
The Mustangs welcome the Knights to Dallas with a 10-4 overall record and a 0-1 league mark, registering wins over teams such as Kansas, North Texas, Coppin State and Hofstra, before falling to Conference USA-foe Tulsa, 75-62, in overtime in their last outing.
SMU is led by senior Janielle Dodds who is averaging 14.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while also recording a team-high .859 free-throw percentage. Fellow seniors Sharee Shepherd and Katy Cobb also pace the Mustangs, with Shepherd posting 37 steals and 16 blocks and Cobb dishing out 41 assists on the season.
On the Air
Fans can listen to the women's basketball team at home and on the road at UCFAthletics.com. Every contest will feature Scott Adams as the Knights' play-by-play man.
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.
-UCF-