Jan. 30, 2011
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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
GREENVILLE, N.C. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF women's basketball team came into Sunday's Conference USA game at East Carolina looking to try and earn its first-ever victory at Minges Coliseum after failing to win its first five trips. Despite 16 points and a nine rebounds from senior D'Nay Daniels (Atlanta, Ga.), the Knights (11-10, 4-4 C-USA) fell to Pirates (9-11, 3-4 C-USA), 65-58.
The loss was the second in a row and the fourth in the last five games for UCF after starting the conference schedule 3-0.
Daniels just missed her second-straight double-double with the game highs in points and rebounds. Daniels finished 8-of-14 from the floor in the loss, but failed to get to the free-throw line to help her total.
Trailing for much of the game, UCF mounted a comeback late, cutting the deficit to four, 58-54, with 1:54 remaining. Daniels helped lead the way with eight points in the second half, but it was not enough as the Pirates pulled away with free-throws down the stretch.
ECU held UCF senior guard Chelsie Wiley (Riviera Beach, Fla.) to eight points in the game; just the fourth time she has failed to score in double figures this season. Wiley was held without a field goal until the final minutes of the game, connecting on a three-pointer from the wing to bring her team to within four.
Coming off the best game of her career on Thursday against Houston, sophomore Gevenia Carter (Houston, Texas) was second on the Knights with nine points. Senior Jelisa Caldwell (Macon, Ga.) matched Wiley with eight points in the contest, while shooting 3-of-6 from the field.
Senior Kim Gay, the Pirates' leading scorer this season, finished with 11 points, as did Crystal Wilson. ECU was led by Ashley Clarke and her 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting.
The Knights outrebounded the Pirates, 41-36, in the game, but managed just nine second-chance points on their 16 offensive rebounds. The Achilles heel of UCF the entire game was free-throw shooting as the Knights were just 11-of-20 from the line in the loss.
The loss dropped the Knights to 0-6 all-time at ECU and 2-8 on the road this season.
UCF will have a short hiatus this week with no game scheduled for Thursday. The team will return to action on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. EST in Tulsa.