Feb. 1, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF women's basketball team will look to regroup from a heartbreaking overtime loss to Marshall when it plays host to East Carolina on Saturday. Tip-off in the New UCF Arena is slated for 5 p.m. EST and the game will be carried live on UCFAthletics.com with Scott Adams.
The game will be held in conjunction with the 22nd-annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which features a two-hour clinic staffed by UCF female student-athletes, coaches and trainers at the UCF Soccer and Track Complex beginning at 2 p.m. EST. The event, which features the theme "All In" for its 2008 edition, is one of more than 1,000 such events taking place across the country. It was originally chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1986 to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements and her work to ensure equality for women's sports and encourage female participation in sports and fitness. Tickets for the event are $10 per person. To register for the event or for additional information, please contact Bobby Lindsey at (407) 882-1596.
The Knights (8-12, 1-6 Conference USA) are coming off a 77-75 loss to the Thundering Herd in overtime on Thursday night. Freshman guard Angelica Mealing (Decatur, Ga.) nailed an off-balance three-pointer from just inside halfcourt to tie the game in regulation and send it to overtime, but Marshall out-scored UCF 11-9 in the extra period. Freshman forward Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) led the Knights with 19 points and 12 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season to complement a career-high three blocks.
"We are looking forward to again playing hard for 40 minutes against East Carolina," UCF head coach Joi Williams said. "We have an opportunity to face another opponent that is very active on the ball and that will give us a chance to get better at taking care of the ball. We had too many turnovers against Marshall, but our players know that and we will come out and do a better job in that area on Saturday."
UCF is led by freshman forward/center Tia Lewis (Poulan, Ga.), the nation's third-leading rebounder, who tied Southern Miss' Pauline Love for the league lead in double-doubles on Thursday evening with 13. Lewis averages 13.0 points per game and 12.1 rebounds per game. Cannon follows with 11.2 ppg and 9.4 rpg, while freshman guard Marshay White (Rochester, N.Y.) chips in 10.6 ppg.
The Knights and Lady Pirates meet for the fifth time in school history on Saturday with ECU holding a 4-0 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams last met on Feb. 24, 2007 in the UCF Arena, a 76-57 win by the Lady Pirates. This is the first of two meetings between UCF and East Carolina this season, as the teams will again square off on Feb. 17 in Greenville, N.C.
East Carolina brings a three-game win streak into Orlando for Saturday's game after the Lady Pirates defeated Southern Miss 86-70 on Thursday night. The win streak for ECU, which is 9-11 overall and 3-4 in Conference USA play, comes after the Lady Pirates dropped their first four consecutive league games this season.
Junior guard LaCoya Terry leads the way for ECU, averaging 14.9 ppg. She scored a season-high 27 points vs. Southern Miss on Thursday, going 10-of-14 from the field. Fellow guard Jasmine Young adds 14.6 ppg, while senior forward Nicole Days is the team's leading rebounder with 7.5 boards per game.
UCF will play host to the 2008 Conference USA Women's Basketball Tournament, March 6-9, at the new UCF Arena. Single-game and session ticket packages are now available. Call the UCFAA Ticket Sales Office at 407-823-1000. 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 pictures.
Quick Notes
- UCF and East Carolina meet for the fifth time in school history, with the Lady Pirates holding a 4-0 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams last met on Feb. 24, 2007 in the UCF Arena, a 76-57 win by the Lady Pirates. This is the first of two meetings between UCF and East Carolina this season, as the teams will again square off on Feb. 17 in Greenville, N.C.
- UCF has held 19 of its 20 opponents this season to 50 percent shooting or less, including 10 consecutive.
- The Knights lead Conference USA in double-doubles by a team with 22. Tia Lewis has notched a squad-best 13 double-dips, while Emma Cannon has accomplished the feat nine times this year.
- UCF has placed at least two players in double figures in every game this season. In 16 of 20 games this season, three or more Knights have tallied double-figure point totals.
- The Knights have benefitted from strong bench play in their last four games. During that span, UCF's reserves have outscored the opponent bench 127-74.
- Through 20 games this season, UCF coach Joi Williams has used 11 different starting lineups.
- Freshman forward Emma Cannon has provided a key spark off the bench for UCF in its last four games. She has come off the bench in each of those four contests and has led the Knights in scoring on three of those occasions.
- Junior center Jackie Akers has posted two or more blocks in each of the team's last six games.