Feb. 4, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - When the UCF women's basketball team met East Carolina last Saturday in the New UCF Arena, the Knights set a school attendance record with 1,457 fans on hand to witness the game, which capped off National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
It marked just the second time in school annals that UCF has drawn an attendance of 1,000 or more fans to a single home game, and it was the largest crowd in New UCF Arena history. At halftime, student-athletes and coaches from all of UCF women's sports programs - each of whom participated in a two-hour clinic prior to the game - were recognized.
"I am very proud of our female student-athletes for supporting our women's basketball program in conjunction with National Girls and Women in Sports Day," said Jessica Reo, UCF's Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator. "It was a beautiful day and it was a nice opportunity for girls in our local community to come out and spend time with our current student-athletes before attending the basketball game. I am excited to see our women's basketball program receive such great support from the community, especially leading up to the Conference USA women's basketball tournament in March."
Already this season, the Knights have posted four of the top 20 crowds in school history, as they prepare to play host to the Conference USA Tournament March 6-9 in the New UCF Arena.
UCF's celebration was one of more than 1,000 such events that took place around the country to recognize National Girls and Women in Sports Day, with events taking place in all 50 U.S. states. Originally chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1986, the day was set aside 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.
Top 10 Crowds in UCF Women's Basketball History
Rank Date Opponent Attendance1. 2/2/2008 East Carolina 1,4572. 1/15/2006 UTEP 1,1823. 2/2/2002 Campbell 8764. 12/11/2002 Florida 7295. 2/23/2002 Stetson 7016. 2/11/2007 Rice 6717. 11/19/1999 USF 6588. 12/19/2007 Appalachian State 6049. 11/28/2000 Florida State 59610. 12/16/2005 Central Michigan 587
Tia Lewis Leads Nation in Double-Doubles By A Freshman
Freshman UCF forward/center Tia Lewis (Poulan, Ga.) leads the nation in double-doubles by a freshman with 13, according to an unofficial poll conducted by conference sports information directors. Additionally, freshman forward Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) is fourth in the nation in double-doubles by a freshman with nine.
Lewis is tied with Southern Miss' Pauline Love for the league lead (all classes) in double doubles, while Cannon ranks fourth.
National Freshman Double-Double Leaders
- 13 - Tia Lewis, UCF
- 12 - Ta'Shia Phillips, Xavier
- 10 - Jantel Lavender, Ohio State
- 9 - Emma Cannon, UCF
Conference USA Double-Double Leaders (All Classes)
- 13 - Tia Lewis, UCF
- 13 - Pauline Love, Southern Miss
- 11 - Larissa Williams, Tulsa
- 9 - Emma Cannon, UCF
- 7 - Courtney Taylor - Houston
UCF returns to action Thursday when it plays host to UAB in the third-game of a four-game homestand. Tip-off in the New UCF Arena is slated for 7 p.m. EST and the game will be carried live on UCFAthletics.com with Scott Adams.
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.
-UCFAA-