Jan. 17, 2015
Box Score
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By Jenna Marina
UCFKnights.com
PHILADLEPHIA, Pa. (UCFKnights.com) - Facing a 29-point deficit at halftime, the UCF women's basketball team did everything it could to make it a game Saturday against the Owls.
Holding Temple without a field goal for the first 11 minutes of the second half, the Knights steadily chipped away to shrink the gap to 8 points. But with a pair of 3-pointers, the Owls regained the composure they needed to hang on for the 72-57 win.
"It takes more than one half. I was just really disappointed with the way we came out. I felt Temple got up into us and we didn't handle the pressure very well. We knew that they would press," UCF head coach Joi Williams said. "The second half I thought we did come out and respond. We were down 29 points and could have easily given up but credit them for a lot of fight in the second half."
Sophomore Zykira Lewis led the Knights in scoring for the fifth-straight game with 21 points while senior Yanique Gordon finished with her second double-double of the year, 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Temple flustered UCF into a slow start. The Knights committed four turnovers and were just 1-7 from the field, allowing the Owls to claim a 14-2 lead by the first five minutes of play.
By the halftime break, the Owls would cash in heavily on UCF's 15 turnovers, generating 24 points off the Knights' misfortune for a 49-20 edge.
UCF came out of the locker room looking like a different team completely. The Knights used a 18-2 run while holding the Owls 0-16 from the field.
When Lewis drilled a 3-pointer in front of her bench before bringing down a rebound on the other end and hitting Aliyah Gregory with a long pass in transition, the Knights managed to cut it to 53-45 with 8:53 remaining.
Temple's Alliya Butts responded with a 3-pointer to give her team some confidence, and minutes later, Mama Traore and Tanaya Atkinson added with two more from behind the arc to dash the Knights' hopes of pulling off the comeback.
UCF returns home to host the back-to-back reigning NCAA champion and second-ranked team in the country, UConn, at 7 p.m. Wednesday in an SNY/ESPN3 broadcast.
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.