Jan. 10, 2010
By Andrew Gavin
UCFAthletics.com
| UCF at ECU Jan. 10, 2010 |
| Greenville, N.C. (Minges Coliseum) | |||||
| Team | 1st | 2nd | Final | ||
| UCF | 30 | 32 | 62 | ||
| ECU | 37 | 36 | 73 | ||
UCF (3-8, 0-2)
Wiley, Chelsie 7-11 1-2 17; White, Marshay 4-13 1-1 9; Cannon, Emma 2-5 5-6 9; Patrick, Aisha 2-5 2-2 6; Caldwell, Jelisa 2-5 1-2 5; Kelly, Ashia 2-3 0-0 4; Daniels, D'Nay 2-6 0-0 4; Mealing, Angelica 1-1 2-3 4; Carter, Gevenia 1-1 0-0 2; Davis, Racine 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 24-51 12-16 62.
EAST CAROLINA (14-2, 3-0)
CLARKE, Ashley 7-11 5-6 19; SPIVEY, Allison 4-9 2-2 12; GAY, Kim 4-7 2-2 10; JACKSON, Ariana 3-4 0-0 8; WILSON, Crystal 2-6 4-4 8; SMITH, Kelly 2-5 1-2 7; BEST, Jean 2-4 2-3 6; SMITH, Chareya 1-5 1-2 3; ASHFORD, Shuanda 0-0 0-0 0; MORGAN, Elaine 0-0 0-0 0; HODGES, Shala 0-0 0-0 0; THYS, Caitlin 0-0 0-0 0; STEWART, Celeste 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-51 17-21 73.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (UCFAthletics.com) - The offense was much improved and junior Chelsie Wiley (Riviera Beach, Fla.) broke out of a slump with a team-high 17 points, but visiting UCF (3-8, 0-2 C-USA) could not overcome some other familiar problems in a 73-62 loss at East Carolina (14-2, 3-0 C-USA) Sunday afternoon at Minges Coliseum.
For the second-straight game, foul trouble limited junior Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) to just five minutes in the first half, and, for the second-straight game, Cannon went into the break scoreless. The Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds in just 18 minutes of play.
It was the third-straight game and fifth overall this season that Cannon did not reach double digits. In the two conference games this weekend, including the 74-60 loss at Marshall Friday, Cannon has played just 31 minutes. She has been effective while on the floor, scoring 16 points and grabbing nine rebounds in those contests.
UCF was also again plagued by turnovers, giving up the basketball 31 times, and seeing ECU post 33 points off of those miscues. The Knights five starters alone committed 26 turnovers. The Knights had 17 of the miscues in the first half as the host Pirates took a 37-30 lead into halftime.
The plethora of turnovers and the absence of Cannon overrode UCF's high shooting percentage and the emergence of Wiley. Including 61.9 percent in the first half, the Knights hit 24-of-51 shots from the field for 47.1 percent.
A third-team all-conference player a season ago, Wiley entered averaging just 8.9 points per game, but was the catalyst Sunday. She hit 7-of-11 shots, including a pair of three-pointers, to finish with 17 points, her highest total since scoring 17 against Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 20. She was the lone Knight in double figures as Cannon and junior Marshay White (Rochester, N.Y.) each scored nine.
With Cannon on the bench, ECU led by as many as 11 (29-18) in the first half. However, Cannon bookended a 10-2 run with a pair of three-pointers as the Knights closed to within three points before the Pirates scored four to lead by seven at the buzzer.
A three-point play by Wiley cut a double-digit deficit to five (51-46) with 12:07 remaining, but moments later Cannon was called for an offensive foul and went to the bench with four. She watched as ECU got three-pointers from Kelly Smith and Ariana Jackson during a 15-4 run that put the Pirates up 16 and the game out of reach.
ECU point guard Ashley Clarke was the biggest difference in the contest, 19 points, 11 rebounds, six steals and five rebounds. The hosts turned the ball over 29 times themselves, but Clarke had only three of the miscues. The Pirates hit 25-of-51 shots from the field, including 6-of-14 from long range.
Looking to put the two losses behind them, the Knights return to the UCF Arena to begin a three-game homestand Friday night against Memphis at 7 p.m. UCF went a perfect 8-0 in Orlando in league play a season ago.
The homestand also includes the 10K Gold Rush, a nationally-televised ESPN2 game on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. against UAB. The Knights need your help to pack the UCF Arena and set a new attendance record. Tickets will be free for all fans in attendance.
Season and single-game tickets are currently available with the UCF Ticket Office. Knight fans can purchase season tickets for each of the team's 14 home games for just $39. For more information on purchasing tickets, contact the UCF ticket office at (407) 823-1000.
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.