Nov. 20, 2015
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) -- For the UCF women's basketball team, seven was the magic number in Friday night's 93-55 win over Florida A&M.
Seven Knights scored in double figures -- a feat that head coach Joi Williams said she has never witnessed in her years of coaching.
Related: Box Score | Box Score
The win also marked the seventh straight for UCF in its series with the Rattlers. The Knights closed out their home-opening week perfectly with their second consecutive win.
"It's awesome. You don't really have to worry about `who should I pass it to?' and `who's hot?' when everybody is hot," said freshman Ashley Polacek, who recorded her third-straight game of double digits with 11 points in addition to her 5 assists. "We're a short team but we are so energetic. We encourage each other. All that just fits and it's awesome knowing that everybody has a role and everybody can produce.
"Hard work really does pay off. We just have to keep going from here. We can't back down."
All 10 Knights who appeared in the game scored points.
Junior Zykira Lewis led the group with a game-high 15 points and a career-best 5 assists while sophomore Aliyah Gregory filled the stat sheet with 10 points and career highs in rebounds (8) and assists (8).
Double Trouble
? Redshirt junior Josslyn Massey recorded her first career double-double with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
? Massey, a transfer from Purdue, has started all three games for the Knights and is their leading rebounder with 10.7 per game.
? Her average ranks among the top five in the American Athletic Conference so far on the young season.
Second Quarter Restart
? After playing FAMU even in the first quarter, 20-20, UCF buckled down to limit the Rattlers to just 9 points in the second.
? The Knights scored 16 unanswered points over a six minute span and totaled 23 for the quarter.
? Polacek nearly sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer when she launched one on the run. It rimmed out but the Knights headed into the locker room with momentum and a 43-29 edge.
Bench Boost
? UCF's bench was responsible for 33 points in Friday's game -- roughly a third of the team's total effort.
? Sophomore Fifi Ndour provided a spark with her second straight game of double digits (10 points) in 14 minutes a reserve.
? Forward Makenzi Reasor chipped in 11 points and 6 rebounds.
? Freshman Jamesha Paul saw her first career minutes and netted her first points with two jumpers in the final four minutes of the game.
Up Next
? UCF travels to South Alabama, meeting the Jaguars for the first time since UCF's 55-54 win in December 2012.
? The all-time series is locked, 2-2.
Story and photos by Jenna Marina; Photos by Brad Helton; Video by Troy Kless