Jan. 6, 2011
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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
HOUSTON (UCFAthletics.com) - Senior D'Nay Daniels (Atlanta, Ga.) and junior Aisha Patrick (Rockledge, Fla.) each scored 21 points as the UCF women's basketball team won its Conference USA opener, 81-68, at Rice's Tudor Fieldhouse Thursday night. The Knights' (8-6, 1-0 C-USA) head coach Joi Williams claimed her 100th-career victory with the win over the Owls (8-7, 0-1 C-USA).
"Before the game, we talked about how tough it is to play on the road," Williams said. "I was really pleased with the way we grinded it out tonight. They made some runs, as we knew they would, but I was proud of the way we fought back and won this game."
The 21 points from Patrick matched her career high was the second 20-plus point performance of this season. She finished the game 8-of-11 from the field and 5-of-10 from the free-throw line.
Patrick and Daniels each had eight rebounds, matching a game high. Daniels was 7-of-11 from the floor and from the free-throw line in the game to reach the 20-point mark for just the second time this season.
Senior guard Chelsie Wiley (Riviera Beach, Fla.) was the third UCF player to score in double figures, finishing the game with 16 points. Wiley was one rebound shy of her career high as she pulled down seven against the Owls.
Fellow senior Jelisa Caldwell (Macon, Ga.) was held under 10 points for the first time since Florida State on Dec. 15 as she scored nine Thursday. Caldwell recorded a career-high five steals in the game as part of a stifling UCF defense that had 16 steals and forced Rice into 20 total turnovers.
With UCF ahead most of the game, Rice used a 10-2 run to regain the lead, 45-44, with 13:55 remaining. After the Owls went up by three, the Knights used a 10-0 run of their own to regain the lead for good, grinding out the 13-point victory, 81-68.
For the game, the Knights outshot the Owls 43.5 percent (27-62) to 40.3 percent (25-62). But it was the free-throw shooting down the stretch that gave UCF the comfortable lead and the win. The Knights were 24-of-37 from the free-throw line in the game, including their last 12 points coming from the stripe.
Rice was led by Morgan Mayse with 16 points and D'Frantz Smart's 10 assists.
UCF continues C-USA play on Sunday with the conference home opener against Southern Miss. The Knights and Golden Eagles are set to tip-off from UCF Arena at 2 p.m.
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now as well with season ticket packages starting at just $39. Fans can purchase tickets online here or by calling (407) UCF-1000.