Nov. 21, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - After trailing by as many as 10 points in its home opener midway through the second half, UCF (1-1) rallied for a 71-69 win over visiting FAMU (2-1) Friday night in non-conference women's basketball action at UCF Arena.
Sophomore Emma Cannon and junior Marcquitta Head both posted double-doubles to lead the Knights comeback. Cannon tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds while Head added 17 points and 12 rebounds.
"I thought we came out with a lot more energy in the second half," head coach Joi Williams said. "We talked at halftime about taking a lot more pride in our home court, especially on the defensive end."
With the teams tied at 69-69 with under a minute to play, Cannon got her seventh offensive rebound of the night, was fouled and connected on 1-of-2 from the line for a 70-69 lead. Another UCF free throw by sophomore Marshay White gave the final margin before a FAMU three by Jarquella Woods with three seconds left misfired.
Beginning the half trailing by eight, UCF used a 6-0 run that included a pair of three-point plays by Head and Cannon to close to 43-39 early in the second half. However, FAMU extended its lead to double-digits against at 57-47.
Sparked by strong defense and transition offense, UCF ripped off a 15-2 run capped by a White fastbreak bucket for a 62-59 lead with 5:52 left, the Knights first since 17-16 with 9:44 left in the first half.
White added 15 points in the game after coming off the bench for just the fourth time in her career.
The two teams were knotted at 67-67 at the two-minute mark, and D'Nay Daniels (Atlanta, Ga.) blocked a shot on one end that led to a Head bucket on the other for a 69-67 Knight lead. Stephanie Foster tied it for FAMU with a layup at the other end with 42 ticks left.
In the first half, UCF took its first lead at 13-12 on White's second three of the game. The three capped an 11-2 run for the Knights after falling behind 10-2 early.
The Knights fell behind by double figures at 37-27 on a three-pointer by Foster, but UCF closed to 39-31 at the break.
Deidra Jones scored a game-high 24 points for the Rattlers while Foster added 18.
Head led the Knights with nine points at the break, but overall UCF struggled from the field and shot just 28.6 percent (10-35).
"I am really excited to play this season," said Head. "All the hard work that we have put in to practices. Like coach always says, `play defense first and the offense will come.'"
For the game, UCF hit 27-of-73 from the field for 37.0 percent while FAMU shot 40.6 percent (26-64). The numbers were nearly equal throughout, as both teams hit three from long range and 14 free throws.
The Knights finished the game with a 50-41 edge on the glass.
After having just eight assists and 31 turnovers in its opener, UCF had 17 assists and 17 turnovers Friday. Sophomore Angelica Mealing and Chelsie Wiley each had six assists off the bench for the Knights.
Mealing was a spark in the second half, registering five assists, two steals and no turnovers in nine minutes of action.
"Giving us that spark is a big part of Jelly's role and we talk to her about that everyday in practice," said Williams. "That is the kind of intensity we need from her everyday. She is an emotional player and she gets her teammates excited, and that is contagious."
UCF returns to action in less than 24 hours, hosting Florida Atlantic Saturday at 5 p.m. at UCF Arena.
Season tickets for the UCF women's basketball program are currently on sale through the UCF ticket sales office. For more information about the arena's premium seating options, including club seats, group discounts, courtside tables and suites, contact the UCF ticket sales office at (407) UCF-1000 or visit the women's basketball ticket page at UCFAthletics.cstv.com/tickets/w-baskbl-tickets.html.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
Notes
- UCF is now 8-15 all-time against Florida A&M. The victory evens UCF's record at home against FAMU at 7-7.
- The win moves UCF to 191-163 all-time against schools from the Sunshine State. The Knights have played against 25 different colleges and universities against Florida.
- UCF moves to 19-13 in home openers all-time.
- Sophomore Emma Cannon posted her second-straight double double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Cannon now has 14 double doubles in her career.
- Junior Marcquitta Head had her first double double in a UCF uniform. The Georgia State transfer finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds. - UCF had 27 rebounds on the offensive end, including a combined 15 by Cannon and Head. Cannon is averaging nine offensive boards per game through the first two contests.
- For the second-straight game, UCF totaled 50 rebounds. The Knights have 101 in their first two games.