Dec. 14, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF head coach Joi Williams brings the Knights to her hometown on Monday looking to end a six-game losing streak for the women's basketball team at Jacksonville. In her first campaign at UCF, Williams had success against teams from Jacksonville, defeating both North Florida and Jacksonville.
Monday's game will end a six-game trip away from home for UCF, with three games in the U.S. Virgin Islands and road games at Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast. The trip will have spanned 26 days when the Knights return home on Thursday to host Miami.
In last season's meeting with the Dolphins, UCF got a career-high 22 points and 13 rebounds from sophomore Emma Cannon.
UCF has dropped the first five games of the trip despite leading in the second half in the past four contests. Cannon continues to lead the team in both scoring (13.4) and rebounding (10.3).
The Dolphins are coming off a victory in their last outing, defeating Lipscomb 63-57 in an Atlantic Sun Conference game. Regina Omoite led JU with 13 points and six assists in the contest, in which 10 Dolphins scored. Virginia Gregoire leads the team at 10.9 points per game.
Monday's game is the fourth of six games UCF will play this season against in-state opponents. The Knights host Miami on Dec. 18 and play at Florida State on Dec. 31.
KNIGHTS NOTES
? LAST TIME OUT: The Knights led for the fourth-straight game in the second half, but fell at Florida Gulf Coast when the host Eagles rattled off runs of both 10-0 and 15-2. Sophomore Emma Cannon had her fourth double double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds in the game.
? THE SERIES:
UCF holds an 8-6 lead in the all-time series after an 80-72 victory on Nov. 19, 2007. It was the program's first victory at the new UCF Arena. The Knights got a career-high 22 points from Cannon in the win. She added 13 rebounds.
? UCF VS. THE SUNSHINE STATE:
In the history of the program, UCF has played 354 games against 25 schools from the state of Florida. In those games, the Knights have a 191-165 all-time record. UCF is 1-2 this season against the Sunshine State, defeating Florida A&M and falling to Florida Atlantic and Florida Gulf Coast. Six of the team's 13 non-conference games this season are against teams from Florida.
? WELCOMED ADDITION:
Sophomore Amber Kirkpatrick is expected to make her UCF debut Monday after sitting out the past year after transferring from Eastern Kentucky. At 6-2, Kirkpatrick will immediately add post depth to the Knights.
? FINISHING TOUCH:
In each of UCF's last four games and six of the last seven, the Knights have held a second-half lead. The Knights held one-point leads against both Wisconsin and Alabama, were leading Villanova by three and had a four-point edge at Florida Gulf Coast.
? LOGGING TIME:
Freshman Aisha Patrick is getting acclimated to college basketball in a hurry this season. The Rockledge, Fla., native is one of only three Knights to start all eight games, and she leads the team and is third in Conference USA in minutes per game, averaging 34.1.
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.