Dec. 4, 2010
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Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF women's basketball team will look to rebound from its non-conference loss Tuesday night at Savannah State when it travels south to take on FIU Sunday afternoon. The Knights and Panthers are set to tip-off from the U.S. Century Bank Arena in Miami at 4:30 p.m.
UCF (3-3) comes into the game with the toughest loss in recent memory in its last game Tuesday in Savannah. The Knights took a late lead on an Aisha Patrick (Rockledge, Fla.) layup with under 10 seconds remaining in the game. But that was not enough as a three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Tigers the win and the Knights their third loss of the season, snapping a two-game win streak.
Patrick led UCF in points (17) and rebounds (7) in the game, despite battling illness. Her go-ahead basket in the final seconds came after senior guard Angelica Mealing (Decatur, Ga.) drove hard to the basket, drawing two defenders and leaving Patrick free under the basket for a perfectly-placed pass along the baseline for the assist.
Sunday's contest marks the first between the two teams since the 2004-05 season. The Panthers (4-3) lead the all-time series with 26 wins, while the Knights have managed seven victories with the last coming in the 1984-85 season. This year, FIU is led by a duo of players averaging double figures in scoring with Rakia Rodgers' 14.4 ppg and Jerica Coley's 12.4 ppg leading the way.
Following Sunday's game at FIU, the Knights return to the UCF Arena for a meeting with Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday at noon. The game marks Elementary Day and will feature several local school groups in the crowd.
Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 - 4:30 p.m.
UCF Knights (3-3)
at FIU Panthers (4-3)
U.S. Century Bank Arena - Miami, Fla.
Sunday's Game
UCF and FIU meet Sunday for the first time in six seasons. The Knights come into the game with a 3-3 record after falling 56-54 on a last-second three-pointer Tuesday at Savannah State.
Scouting the Panthers
FIU enters the game with a 4-3 record after a home loss Friday night against Cal-State Bakersfield, 68-64. The Panthers recently won their sixth FIU Thanksgiving Classic with wins over Morehead State and Indiana State. The Panthers own a 26-7 lead in the all-time series between the two programs. UCF has not beaten FIU since Feb. 2, 1985, a streak of 24-straight losses for the Knights to the Panthers.
Tuesday Night Heartbreak
Junior Aisha Patrick battled through illness to score a team-high 17 points and pull down a game-high seven rebounds against the Tigers. Patrick's layup with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game gave her team its final lead of the contest, 54-53.
Wiley To Bounce Back
Senior Chelsie Wiley (Riviera Beach, Fla.) didn't reach double-digits in scoring for the first time this season Tuesday in Savannah. Wiley's nine points dropped her season scoring average to 14.8 points per game, still the top figure on the team and 10th in the league.
Carter Comes Through
Coming off the bench against the Tigers, sophomore Gevenia Carter (Houston, Texas) scored all six of her points in a span of 1:40 near the end of the first half. Carter hit four-straight free-throws and finished on a fast-break layup after stealing the ball at midcourt. No other UCF player scored during that span.
Starting Figures
UCF's starting five has been the same in each of the last two games. In those contests, the starters have combined to score 98 of the team's 120 total points. Against Western Kentucky, the Knights' initial lineup scored 58 of the team's 66 points in the win.
Picks Her Spots
With just 11 three-point attempts this season, senior Jelisa Caldwell (Macon, Ga.) ranks third on the team. However, Caldwell has hit on seven of those 11 attempts for a team and conference-best .636 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Those seven made threes are second on the team, behind only Wiley who is 15-of-49 (.306) from downtown.
Charity Stripe
UCF is the fifth-best C-USA team from the free-throw line this season, connecting on two-thirds of its attempts (.667). Leading the way for the Knights is senior D'Nay Daniels (Atlanta, Ga.), who is second amongst all players in the league, shooting .846 (22-26) from the line in 2010-11.