CINCINNATI, Ohio (UCFKnights.com) -- As the buzzer sounded in Saturday's 80-60 win at Cincinnati, the UCF women's basketball team erupted with joy and huddled around head coach Joi Williams at midcourt.
The Knights had a lot to be proud of after pulling off their first conference win of the season. They just scored their most points in a league victory since joining the American Athletic Conference and snagged their first win at Cincinnati in program history.
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| Game Highlights (Courtesy of ADN)
"It feels fantastic. I am so proud of this team. We've been resilient and fought. It's tough when you go through a losing streak like we've been going through," Williams said. "(We've talked about) just to really focus on the next game and not get caught up in that. I'm just really proud of their will today. That's what we talked about a lot, and it turned out a good result."
For the second straight year, UCF split its regular season series with the Bearcats. Three Knights scored in double figures, led by Zykira Lewis' game-high 21.
On Fire in First
? UCF got off to a hot start thanks to five 3-pointers in the first quarter -- three scored by junior Zykira Lewis.
? The Knights boasted a 24-12 advantage at the end of the first, marking the most points the team had scored in any quarter during conference play this season.
? UCF was effective on defense as well, holding Cincinnati without a field goal for five minutes.
Take the Lead and Run
? UCF never trailed for the entire game, a first-time feat for the squad this year.
? Cincinnati made things a bit interesting when it erased a once 14-point gap to a single possession, 32-30 with 2 minutes left before the halftime break.
? The Knights closed out the second quarter with a 9-2 run for a 44-31 edge and never looked back.
Nothing But Net
? The Knights hit their magic numbers to clinch the win.
? UCF posted its best offensive performance from the field all year, shooting 36-of-65 (53.8 percent) and reached 80 points for the third time this season.
? In UCF's games won this year, the Knights average 52.5 percent from the field and 84.8 points. In comparison, UCF averages 33 percent and 59 points in games lost.
Notable Performances
? Junior Zykira Lewis recorded her fifth 20-point outing of the season. She had 11 points in the first quarter alone thanks to a 3-of-4 showing from behind the arc.
? Redshirt freshman Nyala Shuler netted a season-high 12 points for her first double-digit outing in a conference game of her career.
? Freshman reserve Jamesha Paul impressed with career highs in points (9), rebounds (6) and minutes (18).
? Sophomore Aliyah Gregory contributed 14 points -- her fourth double-digit outing of UCF's last five games.
Up Next
? The Knights travel to No. 1 UConn on Wednesday for their second matchup against a Top 25 team this year.
? Due to conference pairings, Wednesday's matchup in Hartford will be the only meeting between the two programs during the regular season.
? The game will air on ESPN3.
Story by Jenna Marina; Video courtesy of American Digital Network