Nov. 14, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF women's basketball gets the second season of the Joi Williams' era underway Sunday, traveling to Boulder, Colo., for its first-ever meeting with Colorado at 4:30 p.m. With the new season comes a clean slate and increasing excitement around a program that returns eight players from 2007-08.
Knights' fans looking to follow the action can listen to a live audio internet broadcast with Scott Adams on the call. The broadcast, through Stretch Audio Internet, can be accessed at http://ucfathletics.cstv.com/multimedia/ucf-wbb-stretch-sched.html.
One of the youngest teams in the country, the 2007-08 Knights finished 10-20, the first 10-win season in the past three years for the program. UCF played freshmen a nation-high 91 percent of its minutes. Three of those freshmen - Emma Cannon, D'Nay Daniels and Marshay White return as sophomores after averaging in double figures.
Colorado enters this season after posting a 19-15 record and reaching the semifinals of the Women's National Invitational Tournament in 2007-08. Brittney Spears and Bianca Smith return as key players for the Buffs.
UCF will be looking to even its record in season openers. The Knights are 15-16 all-time. Opening last season with a home contest against Texas Tech, it will be the second-straight season that UCF opens against a Big 12 foe.
KNIGHTS NOTES
? OPENING DAY: Entering Sunday, UCF is 15-16 all-time in season openers. The game will mark the second-straight season the Knights will open against a team from the Big 12.
? ON THE ROAD: UCF has historically struggled in road openers, going 7-24 all-time in its first game on an opponent's floor.
? UCF VS. THE STATE OF COLORADO: The meeting with Colorado will be the third for UCF against a team from the state of Colorado. The Knights are 1-1 all-time against the state, with both previous meetings coming against the University of Denver. UCF also had their road opener in Colorado on Dec. 13, 1980, when it defeated Denver 68-67.
? UCF VS. THE BIG 12: The Knights are 1-8 all-time versus the Big 12, with the lone win coming on Nov. 25, 2001, when UCF defeated Kansas 71-59 in the San Juan Shootout.
? HEADSTART: Junior Marcquitta Head is expected to make her UCF debut against CU. In two seasons, the 6-4 transfer from Georgia State averaged 9.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest.
? STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: The UCF non-conference schedule includes nine games against foes from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC. The Knights play three of the contests at home, three on the road and three at a neutral site.
? YOUNG BUNCH: With 12 underclassmen, UCF is tied for the fourth-most underclassmen in Division I women's basketball.