Jan. 21, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - On the heels of a three-game road trip that has left the team in a six-way tie atop the Conference USA standings, UCF returns home for the first time since Jan. 3 to host Rice Thursday at 7 p.m. at UCF Arena. At 3-1 in conference action, the Knights are atop the league with Houston, Marshall, SMU, Southern Miss and UTEP.
UCF and Rice have met on just three occasions, with the Knights posting their lone win in the series, 68-49, almost one year ago in Houston on Jan. 20, 2008. Jelisa Caldwell (Macon, Ga.) came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points in the game for UCF.
The Knights opened league play with three-straight victories before falling 69-64 on the road at Southern Miss in their last outing. Freshman Aisha Patrick (Rockledge, Fla.) scored in double figures for the fourth time in as many league games, posting a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Sophomore Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) continues to lead the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.1 points and 10.0 rebounds. She will look to bounce back after an eight-point, six-rebound performance at Southern Miss.
Rice enters the game looking for its first C-USA win of the season. The Owls have dropped their last two league games by a combined four points. Morgan Mayse scored 17 points off the bench in their last game, a 69-68 loss to UAB.
KNIGHTS NOTES
? INSIDE THE SERIES: Rice leads the all-time series with UCF 2-1. While the Knights won the last meeting 68-49 in Houston on Jan. 20 of last year, the Owls took the victory in the lone game played in Orlando, winning 75-57 on Feb. 11, 2007.
? PLAYING THE BEST: UCF's strength of schedule currently ranks 26th nationally, according to The College Basketball News women's basketball RPI ratings. The Knights' schedule ranked as the eighth-toughest nationally after non-conference play.
? P-O-W TIMES TWO: On the strength of her 34-point, 20-rebound performance against Memphis on Jan. 8, Cannon became the second UCF player to win C-USA Player of the Week honors this season. Chelsie Wiley (Riviera Beach, Fla.) became the first in the program's history on Dec. 22.
? BACK HOME AGAIN: UCF returns home Thursday to host Rice after concluding a three-game road trip spanning 19 days away from home. It is the second extended trip away from home this season for the Knights. Earlier this season, 26 days passed between UCF home games on Nov. 22 against Florida Atlantic and Dec. 18 against Miami.
? AMONG THE NATION'S BEST: Cannon is currently ranked in the top-30 nationally in a couple of major statistical categories. She is 21st nationally in rebounds per game and is also 33rd in the country in field goal percentage, according to the latest NCAA statistics.
? WHAT LEARNING CURVE?: Patrick has not shown any signs of being a freshman in C-USA play. She has notched double figures in each of the team's three league games, averaging 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.8 steals.
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.