Jan. 14, 2010
By Andrew Gavin
UCFAthletics.com
Live Audio
Coaches Corner with Joi Williams
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - After a disappointing opening weekend of Conference USA action, the UCF women's basketball team returns Friday night to a place where it was anything but disappointing in league play a season ago, its home floor. The Knights were a perfect 8-0 at the UCF Arena in 2008-09, and will host Memphis there Friday night at 7 p.m. Head coach Joi Williams' team can even its record at 2-2 this weekend by running its C-USA home winning streak to 10.
The game can once again be heard live on ESPN 1080 AM WHOO. With Scott Adams and Andrew Gavin on the call, coverage can be heard beginning at 7 p.m. Those fans not in the Central Florida area or without radio access can listen live via the internet by clicking here or on UCFAthletics.com.
Two things must happen for UCF to return to the win column. First, Williams will need her team to take better care of the basketball after turning it over 51 times in losses at Marshall and East Carolina last weekend. Secondly, Conference USA's Preseason Player of the Year Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) must stay on the court after foul trouble limited the junior to just 15.5 minutes per game in the losses.
One positive for the Knights was the breakout game for junior Chelsie Wiley (Riviera Beach, Fla.), who scored 17 points at ECU. Entering Friday with 99 career threes, Wiley will look to eclipse 100 against the Tigers.
Memphis hits the road after splitting home games last weekend against Tulsa and SMU. The Tigers boast the league's leading scorer, Brittany Carter (18.7 points per game).
UCF swept both meeting a season and leads the all-series against Memphis 6-3, including a 3-2 mark in Orlando.
? THE SERIES: UCF leads the all-time series with Memphis 6-3, including a 3-2 record in Orlando and a 2-1 mark in the UCF Arena. The record also includes a sweep of the season series a season ago, when the Knights won 85-67 in Memphis (Jan. 8) and 82-67 in Orlando (Feb. 26).
? SEASON SWEEP: In 2008-09, UCF swept both of this weekend's opponents, Memphis and UAB. In the two victories over Memphis, UCF shot 47 percent while holding the Tigers to just 36.1 percent. The Knights also forced 23 turnovers per game while also outrebounding Memphis by 6.5 boards per game. Cannon (27.5), Wiley (10.5), Angelica Mealing (10.5) and Aisha Patrick (10.0) each averaged in double figures.
? TIGER TERROR: In her two games against Memphis a season ago, Cannon was a force down low, averaging 27.5 points and 17.5 rebounds per game. She hit 21-of-30 shots from the field and 13-of-16 free throws. These numbers included a 34-point, 20-rebound effort at Memphis on Jan. 8 and a 21-point, 15-rebound performance in Orlando on Feb. 26.
? HOME STREAKING: One of the major reasons for UCF's C-USA success last season was its domination of league opponents at home. The Knights enter Friday's game with an eight-game home winning streak over league foes after going 8-0 a season ago. In those games, Wiley averaged 19.5 points per game and Cannon added 16.9 points and 12.9 rebounds per contest. UCF had a winning margin of plus-11.6 point per game and won five of the eight games by double digits.
? MOVE OVER, I'M COMING UP: Junior Emma Cannon accomplished a special feat against Notre Dame, scoring her 1,000th career point and becoming the school's 12th member of the 1000-point club. She passed Marcie Swiley against ECU, and, now with 1,120 points, is just 15 points shy of passing Ali Roberts for tenth place all-time. She is on pace to end the season in fifth place. The top four players on the scoring list are: Tamika Coley (2,006), Susan Patz (1,587), Chariya Davis (1,517) and Yolanda Rhodes (1,322).
? FASTER THAN THE REST: Cannon became the fifth active player in Conference USA to reach the 1,000-point plateau, joining UTEP's Jareica Hughes (1,395), Pauline Love of Southern Miss (1,303), Tulsa's Larissa Williams (1,241) and SMU's Britney Gilliam (1,197). However, Cannon is the league's only junior in the elite group. Houston's Courtney Taylor (954) and Cannon's teammate Chelsie Wiley (861) are the next closest juniors to 1,000 points.
UCF will also host UAB this weekend for 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.
In addition, 500 free t-shirts will be given to the first 500 fans in attendance. If a minimum of 500 students come to Sunday's game, a $1500 spring scholarship will be given away to someone in the arena.
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.