Jan. 8, 2011
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By Pat Salvas
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - With its first Conference USA win out of the way and head coach Joi Williams' 100th-career victory secured, the UCF women's basketball team will now settle into its conference schedule the rest of the season. The Knights (8-6, 1-0) defeated Rice Thursday night in Houston and will now play host to Southern Miss on Sunday at 2 p.m. in their league home opener at UCF Arena.
Williams earned her 100th-career with a 13-point victory, 81-68, at Rice to begin league play. After the Owls took a lead midway through the second half, Williams led the Knights on a 10-0 stretch to regain the lead for good.
D'Nay Daniels (Atlanta, Ga.) and Aisha Patrick (Rockledge, Fla.) each had game highs in rebounds and points in the team's third-straight win. Both players scored 21 points and pulled down eight boards in the contest. The 21 points from Patrick matched her career high as both reached the 20-point mark for the second time in 2010-11.
The Golden Eagles come to Orlando after also winning their C-USA opener, a 46-43 win over rival UAB Thursday night in Hattiesburg. The win pushed Southern Miss' overall record to 6-8. This season, the team ranks 10th in the league in scoring, averaging 60.9 points per game, while allowing opponents an average of 68.7 points; the third most amongst C-USA teams.
The game will air live on the UCF Sports Network from IMG College and 1190 AM WAMT in Orlando. Scott Adams will have the call live from the UCF Arena. Fans can watch video and listen to audio of the contest at UCFAthletics.com as part of the all-access plan.
Following Sunday afternoon's tilt, UCF will play host to UAB on Thursday, Jan 13 at 7 p.m. The game between the Knights and Blazers can be seen live on Bright House Sports Network.
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.
Sunday's Game
UCF begins the home portion of its conference schedule Sunday with Southern Miss at 2 p.m. The Knights enter the game on a three-game winning streak after defeating Rice Thursday in Houston, 81-68. The Golden Eagles also won their C-USA opener, beating rival UAB, 46-43, at home to improve to 6-8 overall this season.
On The Air
The rest of the UCF women's basketball season will be broadcast through Genesis Communications and can be heard on either WAMT 1190 AM or WHOO ESPN 1080 AM. Scott Adams will have the call live from the UCF Arena this Sunday and the rest of the season.
Scouting the Golden Eagles
The Southern Miss victory over UAB ended a five-game skid. Since the break, the Golden Eagles dropped a home game with Alabama, 88-78, and a road contest at Louisiana Tech, 83-61, to push the losing streak to five. That ended with the three-point win over their conference rivals on Thursday night. This season, the team ranks 10th in the league in scoring, averaging 60.9 points per game, while allowing opponents an average of 68.7 points; the third most amongst C-USA teams. Senior guard/forward Tanesha Washington led the way with 16 points in the league-opening win.
All-Time Series
Southern Miss leads the all-time series with UCF, 13-4. However, the Knights have won the last three meetings between the two teams, including both games last season and a 65-54 overtime win to capture the 2009 C-USA Conference Championship.
Milestone Marker
Head Coach Joi Williams won her 100th-career game at Rice. Williams has 46 wins since becoming the UCF head coach for the 2007-08 season, ranking fourth in program history.
Double-Down
Against Rice, the Knights were led by the play of senior forward D'Nay Daniels and junior guard Aisha Patrick. Both players had game highs of 21 points and eight rebounds in the win, combining to shoot 15-of-22 from the floor.
Not to be Outdone
Senior guard Chelsie Wiley was one rebound shy of tying her career high as she finished with seven against the Owls on Thursday. For the 11th time this season, Wiley also scored in double figures as she finished with 16 on 5-of-9 shooting.
Almost Made It
After three-straight games of at least 11 points, senior guard Jelisa Caldwell finished one-point shy of reaching double figures to extend her streak to four games. Her nine points were complimented by solid play overall, adding five boards and a career-high five steals.
Power Paint
UCF post play has produced at least 38 points in the paint in each of the last three games. In the last two games against Valdosta State and Rice, the Knights have had at least 40 points in the paint, including a 45 against the Blazers on Jan. 2.
Top 10
Wiley and Daniels both rank in the top 10 in scoring amongst all C-USA players this season. Wiley, the team leader, ranks seventh in the conference with 14.9 points per game, while Daniels ranks just one spot back in eighth at 14.1 points.
Home Against the C-USA
This year's senior class is 13-11 against league opponents in their three seasons in Knights uniforms. Following a 1-7 freshman season against C-USA teams at the UCF Arena, the team has turned the corner, playing much better at home. Since the start of their sophomore season, the seniors have led the Knights to a 12-4 mark at home against the rest of the league, including an 8-0 record in 2008-09 when they won the league title.
Huge Win in Houston
The win at Rice was just the second true road win of the season for UCF. The only other win away from Orlando not on a neutral court came on Dec. 5 at FIU. That game was the last time two Knights scored 20 points in the same game with Daniels and Wiley accomplishing the feat.
Defensive Highs
The 16 steals for UCF at Rice were a season high, eclipsing its previous mark of 13 set against Jacksonville on Dec. 20. The Knights' two best defensive efforts (steal-wise) this season have led to the two highest scoring outputs of 92 points against the Dolphins and 81 against the Owls.
Better from the Line
The 37 free-throw attempts Thursday were a new season high for the Knights, but the team connected on just 24 (64.9%). UCF made a season-best 28 free throws against Middle Tennessee on Dec. 7 on 34 attempts. Daniels continues to be one of the league's premier free-throw shooters, ranking fifth at .806 (5-62.)