Dec. 30, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF women's basketball team closes out both the 2008 calendar year and its non-conference schedule Wednesday afternoon, playing at Florida State at 2 p.m. The contest is the Knights' ninth against teams from the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten and SEC, and the sixth against a team from the Sunshine State.
Knights' fans looking to follow the action can listen to a live audio internet broadcast beginning at approximately 1:40 p.m. The audio broadcast, through Stretch Audio Internet, can be accessed free of charge at http://ucfathletics.cstv.com/multimedia/ucf-wbb-stretch-sched.html.
Head coach Joi Williams' UCF team has taken 10 days off from game action since last playing on Dec. 20 against Ole Miss. The Knights fell in that game, 85-67, despite a career-high 31 points from sophomore Chelsie Wiley (Riviera Beach, Fla.), who also tied a school record with eight threes in the contest.
While UCF has had some time off for the holidays, Florida State is fresh off a 61-57 victory at LSU on Sunday. The Seminoles got 27 points off the bench in the win over the Tigers, including a team-high 12 points from Courtney Ward.
The Knights have dropped three-straight games, but have been shooting the ball extremely well from the outside of late. UCF has vaulted into third place in Conference USA in three-point percentage (35.2) after hitting 16 of its last 28 attempts from long range. Wiley is now second in C-USA at 51.5 percent.
Sophomore Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) continues to lead the Knights in both scoring (13.4) and rebounding (10.3), and has tallied six double-doubles.
KNIGHTS NOTES
? LAST TIME OUT: Wiley knocked down eight three-pointers and scored a career-high 31 points for UCF, but visiting Ole Miss used a strong second half to pull away to an 85-67 victory at UCF Arena. The game ended the Knights' second back-to-back-to-back stretch of games this season.
? INSIDE THE SERIES: Florida State holds a 12-2 advantage in the all-time series between the two programs. The last meeting came on Dec. 9, 2006 in Orlando, with FSU winning 75-66. The two teams last met in Tallahassee on Dec. 4, 2005 with the Seminoles winning 81-49. UCF's last win in the series came on Jan. 18, 1986 in Orlando, a span of eight games.
? UCF VS. ACC: UCF is 7-30 all-time against the Atlantic Coast Conference teams. In the program's history, UCF has played six of the 12 current ACC teams. The Knights will look to end a 22-game losing streak, dating back to the Knights' 98-90 victory over Florida State on Jan. 18, 1986. UCF played three games against the ACC this season.
? KNIGHTS ON NEW YEAR'S EVE: The Knights will be playing on New Year's Eve for the fourth-straight season and 11th time in the program's history. UCF is 3-7 all-time in games on Dec. 31, including a 65-43 victory at Stetson a season ago.
? 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 191-166 all-time record. UCF is 2-3 this season against the Sunshine State.
? CAREER NIGHT: Wiley certainly had a game to remember against Ole Miss on Dec. 20, scoring 31 points and putting herself in the program's record book not once but twice. Wiley's eight threes tied the school record for most three-pointers in a game, and her 8-for-9 performance broke the previous mark for three-point percentage in a single game. Both records were set previously by Francine Houston in February of 2002.
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.