Feb. 18, 2010
By Andrew Gavin
UCFAthletics.com
Orlando, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - After splitting a pair of road games last weekend, UCF returns to the UCF Arena Thursday night, hosting Rice at 7 p.m. for the first of two final home games in 2009-10. The Knights have won three of their last four overall and three of their last four on their home floor.
Junior Chelsie Wiley (Riviera Beach, Fla.) stands just 18 points shy of becoming the program's 13th member of the 1,000-point club. Teammate Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) topped the milestone earlier this season.
Last weekend, UCF battled out an 80-73 win at UAB on Friday night before losing a close 76-72 game to league-leading Memphis on Sunday. The Knights benefitted from a pair of career-high point totals to produce strong offensive performances. In Friday's win over the Blazers, junior Marshay White (Rochester, N.Y.) scored a career-high 26 points and UCF knocked down eight three-pointers. Sunday it was junior D'Nay Daniels (Atlanta, Ga.) with the strong outing, tallying 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting.
The Knights welcome Rice to the UCF Arena for the second-straight season on Thursday. The Owls are much improved over their 2008-09 season but are coming off an 80-46 loss at Tulsa last Sunday. Rice is led by newcomer Jackie Stanley, who is averaging 14.4 points per contest.
UCF will hope that Rice's road woes continue on Thursday. The Owls are just 1-9 on the road this season, including 0-5 in league play.
The two teams met twice a season ago, with UCF sweeping the games. The Knights won 77-52 in Orlando and 66-63 in the first round of the C-USA Tournament.
The game can be heard live on WHOO 1080 AM ESPN Radio. With Scott Adams and Andrew Gavin on the call, coverage can be heard beginning at 6:45 p.m. Those fans not in the Central Florida area or without radio access can listen live via the internet at ESPNFlorida.com or on UCFAthletics.com.
? THE SERIES: After three-straight wins in the series, UCF holds a 3-2 edge in the all-time series against Rice. The Knights swept the season series in 2008-09, including a blowout 77-52 victory in Orlando on Jan. 22 of last season. In the teams' last meeting, UCF defeated Rice 66-64 in the first round of the C-USA Tournament last March.
? WHITE ON THE MONEY: Against UAB, White was on the money when the Knights needed her the most. Trailing 11-10 and struggling offensively in the first half, White converted back-to-back three-point plays to give UCF a lead they would not relinquish. In the second half, with her team up only two points, White scored 11 points during a 13-4 run that gave UCF the lead for good. White hit 5-of-6 shots and scored 16 points in the second half alone.
? BOARD WORK: Including a 40-34 edge on the glass against Memphis on Sunday, UCF has now outrebounded 10-straight opponents. In C-USA games, the Knights are currently leading the league in rebounding margin (+6.6).
? LENDING A HAND: While junior Emma Cannon (Rochester, N.Y.) is leading the team in rebounding in conference games averaging nine per contest. However, she has had plenty of help from her teammates on the boards. Sophomore Aisha Patrick (Rockledge, Fla.) and junior D'Nay Daniels (Atlanta, Ga.) are averaging 6.8 and 6.7 rebounds per game respectively in C-USA action.
? BACK TO THE POINT: Angelica Mealing (Decatur, Ga.) returned to her starting point guard spot against Memphis seven games ago, and the junior has responded. Mealing had a career-high 10 assists against UTEP, and in C-USA play she has totaled 51 assists and just 24 turnovers. She is tied for first among C-USA players in league play in assists (4.9 per game) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.1). Mealing moved into the top-10 all-time in assists at UCF against Tulane and now has 262 for her career.
? START IT UP: Patrick currently has an impressive streak of consecutive starts. Against Memphis Patrick made her 45th-straight start and has now started 53 of 54 games in her career.
? OUT IN FRONT: UCF has been impressive when getting out in front of its opponents this season. The Knights are 7-1 when leading at halftime and 7-1 when leading with five minutes to play. The team is still looking for a signature comeback win as it is 0-12 when coming out of halftime with a deficit.
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.