Jan. 2, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - After putting one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules in the books, UCF returns home to UCF Arena Saturday to kick off its fourth season in Conference USA against Southern Miss at 2 p.m. It will be the fourth time in as many seasons that UCF and Southern Miss have met in their league openers.
Knights' fans unable to make it to the game can listen to a live audio internet broadcast beginning at approximately 1:40 p.m. The audio broadcast, through Stretch Audio Internet, can be heard free of charge at http://ucfathletics.cstv.com/multimedia/ucf-wbb-stretch-sched.html. Fans can also access a live video stream via Knights' All-Access.
The Knights finished both 2008 and non-conference play on New Year's Eve, falling at Florida State 82-70 despite getting 24 and 21 points from sophomores Chelsie Wiley (Riviera Beach, Fla.) and Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) respectively. Cannon (14.0) and Wiley (12.1) are UCF's leading scorers, with Wiley having scored 20 or more in three of the past five games.
UCF played nine of its 13 non-conference games against teams from the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten and SEC, with only five of the 13 games coming at UCF Arena. Despite the difficult schedule, the Knights showed an ability to get to the glass, outrebounding their non-conference foes by 3.1 boards per game.
Southern Miss comes into conference play as the preseason favorite to claim the league title, as voted by the league's coaches prior to the season. Head coach Joye Lee-McNelis returned her entire starting five and 91 percent of the team's scoring from the 2007-08 team that finished 21-14. Junior Pauline Love is the team's leading scorer (15.5) and rebounder (10.4) entering Saturday.
KNIGHTS NOTES
? LAST TIME OUT: The Knights got 20-plus point outings from Wiley and Cannon, but UCF fell at Florida State 82-70. The game closed out the non-conference schedule for the Knights.
? INSIDE THE SERIES: The Knights will be looking for their first victory in the all-time series against Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles have won each of the previous 12 meetings, including the three times the teams met a season ago. In the last matchup, Southern Miss ousted UCF from the 2008 Conference USA Tournament with a 74-72 victory. Cannon had a game-high 19 points and 13 rebounds in the Knights' defeat.
? UCF IN C-USA OPENERS: UCF will be looking for its first victory in a Conference USA opener. The Knights are 0-3 in league openers since joining the conference, with all three games being played against Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles have won the three games by an average score of 63.3-53.7.
? CONFERENCE SUCCESS: Sophomore Marshay White (Rochester, N.Y.) was at her best last season in conference games, where she was one of just two Knights to start each of the team's league games. She led UCF in scoring in conference play, averaging 11.9 points per game.
? DOUBLING UP: Saturday's game will pit two of the league's best players in terms of scoring and rebounding. Pauline Love of Southern Miss leads C-USA in double-doubles this season with nine, and her 28 career double-doubles are tops among active players. Cannon ranks third in both categories with six this season and 18 overall.
? CAREER NIGHT: Wiley 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 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.