Feb. 8, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF women's basketball team looks to break the school's attendance record of 1,457 fans on Saturday when it plays host to Memphis in the final game of a four-game homestand. Tip-off in the New UCF Arena is slated for 5 p.m. and the game will be carried live on UCFAthletics.com with Scott Adams on the call.
Saturday's contest is UCF's "Think Pink" game to help raise breast cancer awareness. The WBCA's "Think Pink" initiative is a global, unified effort for the WBCA's nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. In 2007, more than 120 schools unified for this effort and helped make the inaugural year of "Think Pink" a success. More than 900 women's basketball teams across the country are participating in "Think Pink" week, which takes place Feb. 8-17.
"We're excited about being a part of this great cause," UCF head coach Joi Williams said. "This is such a huge initiative by the WBCA to support breast cancer in light of Coach Kay Yow, who is probably the most prominent figure in women's basketball in this cause. I urge people in the community to come out and support this event because it's pretty much a known fact that everyone either knows someone who has been affected by breast cancer or has had someone in their family who has had it."
The Knights (8-14, 1-8 Conference USA) are looking to snap a four-game losing streak, having dropped an 85-67 decision to UAB on Thursday. Freshman forward Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) scored a career-high 24 points and notched her 10th double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. Freshman forward/center Tia Lewis (Poulan, Ga.), the nation's leader in double-doubles by a freshman, charted her 14th double-dip of the year with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Lewis leads the team with 12.6 points per game, which ranks 12th in Conference USA, and is the league's leading rebounder with 12.0 boards per game. Entering the week, she ranked tied for second in the NCAA in rebounds per game. Cannon follows in the scoring column with 11.8 ppg and is fourth in C-USA with 9.4 rpg. Freshman guard Marshay White (Rochester, N.Y.), who has scored in double figures in four consecutive games, adds 11.2 ppg.
"We have to put everything together on Saturday for Memphis," Williams said. "Memphis is a team that, record-wise, is down at the bottom of the standings with us, but I think they're very explosive and can be dangerous. We have to be able to defend penetration, defend in transition, not give up lay-ups. We have to be able to box out and rebound. If we do those things all together in one night, then we have a good chance to win the game."
As a team, UCF leads Conference USA in rebounding margin with a +5.8 edge on the glass. The Knights are second in the league in rebounding offense, averaging 42.7 boards per game, and have won the rebound battle in 14 games this season.
The Knights and Lady Tigers meet for the sixth time in school history with UCF holding a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams split the season series last year with the Knights taking a 77-62 decision in Orlando and the Lady Tigers winning 80-73 in Memphis. UCF is 3-1 all-time vs. Memphis since joining Conference USA.
Memphis comes to Orlando having lost four of its last five games after falling to Southern Miss, 76-56, on Thursday night in Hattiesburg, Miss. The Lady Tigers are 6-16 overall and 3-6 in Conference USA play. Memphis is near the bottom of most of the league's statistical categories, including allowing its opponents to average 75.1 ppg and 42.9 rpg.
Junior guard Jessica Hall leads the team and ranks 14th in Conference USA in scoring with 12.6 ppg. Junior guard Paris Leonard adds 11.5 ppg as one of four Lady Tigers averaging double-figure point totals. Sophomore guard LaToya Bullard and junior forward Ashley Thornton follow with 10.2 and 10.0 ppg, respectively. Thornton is squad's leading rebounder, ranking ninth in the league with 7.1 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
- The Knights and Lady Tigers meet for the sixth time in school history with UCF holding a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams split the season series last year with the Knights taking a 77-62 decision in Orlando and the Lady Tigers winning 80-73 in Memphis. UCF is 3-1 all-time vs. Memphis since joining Conference USA.
- As a team, UCF ranks first in Conference USA in rebound margin with a +5.8 margin on the boards. The Knights have out-rebounded their opponents in 14 games this season.
- UCF has held 20 of its 22 opponents this season to 50 percent shooting or less, including 11 of its last 12.
- The Knights lead Conference USA in double-doubles by a team with 24. Tia Lewis has notched a squad-best 14 double-dips on the year, which ranks her first in the nation in double-doubles by a freshman.
- Through 22 games this season, UCF head coach Joi Williams has used 12 different starting lineups.
- The Knights have placed at least two players in double-figure scoring in every game this season. Three or more UCF players have scored in double figures on 17 occasions this year.
- Freshman forward/center Tia Lewis is the only player to start in each of the team's 22 games this season. Freshman forward Emma Cannon has brought down seven or more rebounds in 16 games this season.