Frozen in Fourth Quarter

Jan. 10, 2016

NEW ORLEANS, La. (UCFKnights.com) -- The UCF women's basketball team had a comeback in the making when it cut a previously double-digit deficit to 56-50 early in the fourth quarter against Tulane.

But the Knights (3-12, 0-4 American) turned cold at the wrong time, missing 11 consecutive shots until freshman guard Ashley Polacek drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap the score, 75-54, on Sunday.

Related: Box Score | Box Score

Tulane (12-4, 3-1) put the game out of reach with a 19-0 run during UCF's dry spell. UCF junior Joslyn Massey finished one rebound shy of a double-double with her team-high 11 points. UCF guard Zykira Lewis also added 11 points, and sophomore Fifi Ndour grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.

UCF did shine at the free throw line where it converted 16-of-20 from the stripe.

Second Quarter Surge
? After falling behind by as much as 8 points in the second quarter, UCF battled back to close the gap to a single possession, 35-32, by the halftime break.
? The Knights outscored the Green Wave, 18-17, in the second period and performed perfectly at the free throw line, sinking 6-6. It was the lone quarter UCF put up more points than its counterpart.
? Lewis drained four consecutive free throws within a 40-second span to close the quarter.

Up Next
? The Knights return to CFE Arena to face Temple on Wednesday on ESPN3.
? The Owls hold a 4-1 advantage in the series. UCF's lone win occurred in the first meeting in 1995 in Orlando.

Story by Jenna Marina