Dec. 6, 2010
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Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - With just one day of rest, the UCF women's basketball team will play host to Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday at noon. The game marks Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day at UCF Arena and includes free admission for those UCF employees with staff IDs.
Sunday afternoon, the Knights did what no other UCF women's basketball team has been able to do in the last 25 years: defeat FIU. UCF snapped a 24-game losing streak to the Panthers that dated back to Feb. 2, 1985 with its 74-65 victory at the U.S. Century Bank Arena in Miami.
Seniors D'Nay Daniels (Atlanta, Ga.) and Chelsie Wiley (Riviera Beach, Fla.) were the driving force behind the Knights' nine-point win. Daniels and Wiley became the first UCF teammates to score 20 points in a game this season. Daniels matched her career high of 25 points, while Wiley's 22-point performance matched her best scoring output of the season.
The win was the first true road victory of the season for the Knights, who had previously only defeated Iona away from Orlando in a neutral-site game on Nov. 19 at James Madison.
Last year, UCF and Middle Tennessee opened the season on Nov. 15 in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The No. 24 Blue Raiders came away with the win, 78-53, in just the second meeting all-time between the two programs. MTSU enters this game at 5-2 with Ebony Rowe leading the way, averaging 15.6 points per game.
Following Tuesday's game, the Knights will have a short break for finals before heading back out on the road for a matchup against Florida State on Dec. 15.
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010 - 12 p.m.
UCF Knights (4-3) vs.
Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (5-2)
Orlando, Fla. - UCF Arena
Tuesday's Game
The Knights return home after two non-conference road games over the past week to take on Middle Tennessee State Tuesday at noon. UCF snapped a 24-game losing streak to FIU with a 74-65 win on Sunday in Miami to improve to 4-3 this season.
Scouting the Blue Raiders
MTSU comes to UCF Arena for the first time Tuesday. The Blue Raiders had their three-game win streak snapped Friday night at Georgia Tech, 68-48. Four players have started all seven games for MTSU this season with Ebony Rowe (15.6 ppg) and Anne Marie Lanning (10.4 ppg) leading the team in scoring. Rowe is also the team's top rebounder, averaging 9.4 per game in 2010-11. The two teams played last season to open the year. The No. 24 Blue Raiders dealt the Knights a 78-53 loss in Murfreesboro in that contest.
20-Point Performers
Only twice previously this season did a member of the Knights score 20 points in a game. Against FIU, both D'Nay Daniels and Chelsie Wiley each reached the mark, becoming the first UCF teammates to do so in the same game since Jan. 24, 2010 at UTEP. In that game, it was also Wiley and Daniels that accomplished the feat as Wiley scored 29 and Daniels added 20 points.
New High
Daniels set a new career high with 11 field goals at FIU. She also matched her career high of 25 points, set last season at Memphis on Feb. 14. No other UCF player has reached the 25-point mark since Daniels last accomplished the feat.
Matching Her Mark
For her part of becoming the first UCF duo to reach 20 points in the same game this season, Wiley matched her season high of 22 points against the Panthers. The senior guard scored 15 in the first half before adding seven in the second. She set new season highs with nine field goals and four rebounds, while adding a game-high four three-point field goals.
Rebounding Margin
The Knights had their largest rebounding margin of the season at FIU, pulling down 14 more boards than the Panthers, 41-27. The 27 rebounds were the fewest by any opponent this season. The last time the Knights outrebounded their opponent by 14 or more was in last year's regular-season finale at Southern Miss, pulling down 17 more than the Lady Eagles (43-26).
First Half Success
After scoring just 23 points in the first half against Savannah State, the Knights' offense was clicking Sunday at FIU. UCF scored 43 points in the first 20 minutes of play, the most in any half by the team all season.
Holding on to the Ball
Despite matching a season-high 21 turnovers against FIU, the Knights are ranked 15th in the nation in turnovers per game this season. UCF is averaging just 14.6 turnovers a contest, thanks in large part to consecutive games of nine against Western Kentucky and Savannah State.
Solid Reserve
After making starts in the first three games of the season, freshman Erika Jones (Phenix City, Ala.) has been successful in her new role coming off the bench. In 20 minutes against the Panthers, Jones was 4-of-5 from the floor with eight points and five rebounds. The four field goals were a new career high, while the eight points matched her previous high set against Richmond. She also had a career-high two steals in the Knights' nine-point win.
Nearing the Top
Junior Aisha Patrick (Rockledge, Fla.) continues to be one of the premier rebounders in Conference USA. Her 9.6 boards per game rank second in the league, behind only Houston's Courtney Taylor (12.2 rpg), the 2010-11 C-USA Preseason Player of the Year.