Nov. 27, 2008
ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands (UCFAthletics.com) - Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) led four UCF players in double figures Thursday afternoon in the opening game of the Paradise Jam, but No. 6/7 Baylor and All-American Rachel Allison were too tough as the Bears posted a 79-67 victory in women's basketball action at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center.
"I am very proud of our play," said head coach Joi Williams. "We had to make some adjustments, and [the players] did a great job of carrying out the game plan. We had some breakdowns here and there, and against a good team you can't have those. All in all I am very pleased with our effort, and hopefully we will bring that for the next two days."
In a matchup of two players averaging a double-double, Cannon delivered 17 points and seven rebounds for UCF, and Allison scored a game-high 18 points to go with seven boards for Baylor.
Cannon hit a pair of free throws to give UCF the first points of the game, but the highly-ranked Bears immediately showed why they are one of the nation's elite, ripping off an 11-0 run.
UCF turned the ball over on six of its first eight possessions and 14 times in the first half, leading to 14 points for the Bears.
The Knights responded to cut the lead to 24-20 with 6:54 remaining on a pair of free throws from Marshay White (Rochester, N.Y.), but again Baylor went on a run (11-3) to increase the lead to 35-23 The margin would stay there as the Bears led 39-27 at the break.
Sophomore D'Nay Daniels (Atlanta, Ga.) had an impressive first 20 minutes, hitting 4-of-7 shots for eight points and collecting five rebounds. Despite playing without starting center Marcquitta Head and with Cannon seeing just 11 minutes of action, UCF was able to outrebound the taller Bears 22-19 in the first half.
Allison, an honorable mention All-American in 2007-08, scored 11 points in the half to tie fellow senior Jhasmin Player with game-high honors.
Beginning the second half, Allison scored five quick points to increase the lead to 17, but the resilient Knights counterpunched with a 9-2 spurt including five points from Jelisa Caldwell (Macon, Ga.).
Baylor responded with another run, getting six offensive rebounds during a decisive 11-1 spring to put the game out of reach.
The lead reached as many as 24 points with 8:58 on the clock before UCF closed the game with 23 of the last 34 points for the final margin.
After Cannon's point total, sophomore Angelica Mealing (Decatur, Ga.) had a season-high 15 points, 14 coming in the second half, and Daniels and White added 12 apiece. Daniels led the Knights with a game-high nine rebounds.
"We did well on the game plan," said Mealing. "Props to them. They are a great team, but I think we did well. Myself, I am just trying to stay aggressive, and that turned out well."
UCF will return to the UVI Sports and Fitness Center on Friday, playing Wisconsin at 1:00 p.m. eastern time. The game can be listened to free of charge via UCFAthletics.com.
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.
Newspaper Box Score
UCF vs No. 6/7 Baylor
11/27/08 3:30 p.m. at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
At St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
No. 6/7 BAYLOR 79, UCF 67
UCF (1-3)
Cannon, Emma 5-7 7-10 17; Mealing, Angelica 5-12 4-7 15; White, Marshay 3-7 5-6 12; Daniels, D'Nay 5-12 2-6 12; Caldwell, Jelisa 3-7 0-0 7; PATRICK, Aisha 1-1 0-0 2; Wiley, Chelsie 1-7 0-1 2; Paige, Leah 0-0 0-0 0; KELLY, Ashia 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-54 18-30 67.
No. 6/7 BAYLOR (5-0)
ALLISON, Rachel 5-11 7-9 18; MEDLOCK, Morghan 5-10 3-6 13; WILSON, Danielle 5-11 2-4 12; PLAYER, Jhasmin 5-8 0-1 11; JONES, Melissa 4-7 1-1 9; FIELD, Ashley 3-6 1-2 8; WALLACE, Cherrish 0-1 3-4 3; MORROW, Jessica 1-13 1-2 3; GRIFFIN, Kelli 1-3 0-0 2; PALMER, Lindsay 0-2 0-0 0; CONDREY, Terran 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-73 18-29 79.
UCF................................27 40 - 67
Baylor.............................39 40 - 79
3-point goals--Central Florida 3-9 (Caldwell, Jelisa 1-1; White, Marshay 1-1; Mealing, Angelica 1-4; Wiley, Chelsie 0-2; Kelly, Ashia 0-1), Baylor 3-11 (FIELD, Ashley 1-1; PLAYER, Jhasmin 1-2; ALLISON, Rachel 1-2; JONES, Melissa 0-2; MORROW, Jessica 0-1; GRIFFIN, Kelli 0-1; PALMER, Lindsay 0-2). Fouled out--Central Florida-WHITE, Marshay, Baylor-None. Rebounds--Central Florida 38 (Daniels, D'Nay 9), Baylor 50 (WILSON, Danielle 7; JONES, Melissa 7; PLAYER, Jhasmin 7; ALLISON, Rachel 7). Assists--Central Florida 10 (Daniels, D'Nay 3), Baylor 18 (WILSON, Danielle 4). Total fouls--Central Florida 25, Baylor 19. Technical fouls--Central Florida-None, Baylor-None. A-534 2008 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Reef Division Basketball Tournament. presented by the USVI Department of Tourism and Basketball Travelers.
Notes
- The win improves Baylor to 2-0 against UCF. The previous meeting also came off the mainland when the Knights and Bears met in the Junkahoo Jam in Freeport, Bahamas. Baylor, then 15th in the country, won that game by a score of 78-48. - UCF falls to 1-10 all-time against the Big 12.
- Cannon's streak of three-straight double-doubles ended with her 17 points and seven rebounds. She entered the game third in Conference USA in scoring and first in rebounding.
- UCF placed four players in double figures for the first time this season.
- The Knights were outrebounded for the first in 2008-09.
- Chelsie Wiley earned a starting spot for the first time this season.
- D'Nay Daniels reached double figures for the first time this year.
- Angelica Mealing had 15 points in 31 minutes. Both numbers are season highs for the sophomore, who entered the game with just three points on the year.