Jan. 3, 2015
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By Jenna Marina
UCFKnights.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - Backed by a pair of 20-point performances from its underclassmen, the UCF women's basketball team kicked off 2015 with a 76-70 win over Tulsa on Saturday afternoon at CFE Arena.
After falling behind 10 points in the first half, gaining a 10-point lead and withstanding a late run from the Golden Hurricane, the Knights persevered in a thrilling finish to start off conference play 2-0 for the first time in four years.
Sophomore Zykira Lewis notched her seventh 20-point game of the year with a game-high 25 points.
Not to be left out, freshman Aliyah Gregory fell one point shy of her career high with 21 points. The rookie's biggest highlight, however, came in the final 15 seconds. After senior Andrea Hines knocked down two clutch free throws to give UCF a 74-70 lead, Gregory blocked Ashley Hughes' 3-point attempt, brought down the loose ball and drew a foul.
Without breaking a sweat, the freshman drained her two free throws to put the game out of reach for the relentlessly gritty Hurricane.
"We just executed what coach was telling us at halftime. We just really wanted to compete and go hard and fight," Lewis said. "This is a lot of motivation for us to start 2-0 and we just hope to continue to build on it."
After falling behind by 10 points with 3:50 to go in the half, the Knights closed out strong on a 15-0 run mostly fueled by Erica Juarbe and Lewis.
Juarbe sank 5-of-6 from the free throw line to get the Knights going and Lewis sustained the momentum when she sank a 3-pointer and converted a 3-point play the old fashioned way. Juarbe's offensive rebound and put-back in the final seconds put UCF on top, 33-28, at the break. Her 7 points marked a career-high.
UCF continued to roll after halftime, extending its lead to 45-35 in the first four-and-a-half minutes of play. But Tulsa responded with 10 unanswered points to get back into it.
Although the Hurricane would tie it up on three occasions, they were only able to regain the lead for 19 seconds, 62-61, with 3:30 remaining from Kadan Brady's 3-pointer.
The Knights refused to allow Tulsa to earn its first win on their home court in the series (UCF is now 4-0 against TU in Orlando). Hines hit a jumper from left elbow and UCF banded together for its first win of the New Year.
The Knights will host their first ESPN3 matchup against rival Memphis on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Fans can get in on the action all year with the "Season Ticket Card," which is on sale now, starting at $30. Tickets are available today by calling (407) UCF-1000 or buying online by clicking here.