Athletics

Thursday, March 11 - 11:10 p.m.

Knights struggling mightily against top-seeded UTEP
TULSA, Okla. - A night after playing one its finest games of the season in a defeat of SMU, UCF looks a step slow and fatigued against a locked and loaded UTEP squad. Top-seeded UTEP has torched the ninth-seeded Knights for 68 percent shooting and forced UCF into 12 turnovers for a 48-20 halftime lead in the second-round game of the Conference USA tournament. UTEP, the nation's 21st ranked team, made 14 of its first 21 shots (67 percent), 17 of 25 in the half and never trailed. Making matters worse, UCF turned the ball away against the Miners full-court trap. The Knights put themselves into Thursday's second-round game by routing SMU 69-53. It was just UCF's second C-USA victory in school history. UTEP jumped to a 15-3 lead right out of the chute, but UCF did string together six consecutive points for a mini-rally. But that bit of life was short-lived for UCF. UTEP proceeded to go on a 33-11 tear to blow the game wide open. To make matters worse, Marcus Jordan (sprained ankle) and P.J. Gaynor (rib injury) left the game late in the half with injuries. A.J. Rompza and Keith Clanton each have six points for the Knights. Jeremy Williams has 17 for the Miners, while C-USA Player of the Year Randy Culpepper has scored 10 points.

- John Denton

Thursday, March 11 - 10:35 p.m.

Knights sloppy at start, trail UTEP 23-11
TULSA, Okla. - UTEP has been Conference USA's best team all season, and so far they are getting plenty of help from UCF. UCF has committed eight early turnovers against the full-court pressure and has given up three offensive rebounds, allowing top-seeded UTEP to take a 23-11 lead with 10 minutes left in the first half. UCF fell behind 15-3 early in the game, before stringing together six consecutive points. Freshman forward Keith Clanton has four early points, while A.J. Rompza was three points, two assists and three steals. UCF suffered a major early blow when standout freshman guard Marcus Jordan picked up two fouls in the first 2:49 of the game. Jordan ran over a defender on a drive to the hoop on the game's second possession and he was called for fouling UTEP center Derrick Caracter with 17:11 left in the half.

- John Denton

Thursday, March 11 - 3:50 p.m.

Knights will attempt to shock basketball world vs. UTEP
TULSA, Okla. - Already the owners of one upset in the Conference USA tournament, the UCF Knights will attempt to shock the basketball world tonight when they face 21st ranked and top-seeded UTEP at 10 p.m. EST. The ninth-seeded Knights put themselves in position for tonight's game by routing SMU 69-53 Wednesday night at Tulsa's BOK Center. It was the only win by a lower-seeded C-USA team on Wednesday. UTEP dominated the conference this season, going 15-1 in league play, 24-5 overall and winning the last 14 games. Their lone league loss came at Houston on Jan. 13. Coincidentally, Houston topped Memphis on Thursday in tournament play. Coach Tony Barbee, who recruited five Memphis players and transfer Derrick Caracter to UTEP, was named the Conference USA coach of the Year. And dynamic shooting guard Randy Culpepper was voted as the Player of the Year. ``They've had a tremendous year. I didn't think anybody could go through the conference the way they did,'' UCF coach Kirk Speraw said. ``I thought our champ would have three or four losses because we're so balanced. But give UTEP credit because they took on all challenges. They're deep and have a lot of weapons.'' UCF got to see that firsthand on Jan. 23 when UTEP came into Orlando and won 96-59. The Knights actually led 33-32 late in the first half that night before things fell apart. But UCF shot just 18.8 percent in the second half and Culpepper outscored the Knights 25-18 all by himself. Culpepper scored 39 points that day, 25 of them coming in the second half. He made nine of 15 3-pointers with six of them coming after the break. ``It'll be hard to look at that tape because they really took it at us,'' Speraw said. ``They took it at us in the second half. They're one of the top 20 teams in the country, they're playing well and they deserve it.'' UCF was also routed in January by SMU, but came back late Wednesday to whip the Mustangs this time around. UCF shot a dazzling 54 percent, hit seven 3-pointers and frustrated SMU with its 1-3-1 zone defense. Now, they will try to pull off a similar turnaround against the heavily favored Miners. ``We still have a lot of work to do, but we like how we're playing right now,'' said UCF guard Taylor Young, who scored 15 points in the SMU victory.

- John Denton

Thursday, March 11 - 3:41 p.m.

Knights watch a good one
UCF just returned to its hotel from the BOK Center, where the squad watched Houston top Memphis, 66-65, in a great contest. The Knights will now rest, meet as a team and eat a pregame meal before heading over to the arena for tonight's 10 p.m. Eastern game versus top-seed UTEP.

- Doug Richards

Thursday, March 11 - 12:15 p.m.

Speraw helps CBS College Sports prep for the game
Following UCF's quick time on the floor at the BOK Center, Kirk Speraw spent some time with Dave Ryan and Pete Gillen, who will handle the broadcast duties tonight on CBS College Sports. Gillen, the former head coach at Xavier, Providence and Virginia, has already called two of UCF's contests this season. Ryan has seen UCF play once, as he joined Gillen for the squad's contest at Tulsa in January.

- Doug Richards

Thursday, March 11 - 12:10 p.m.

UCF returns to the BOK Center
On Thursday morning, UCF was allotted 25 minutes on the BOK Center floor. The Knights walked through their offensive and defensive assignments for tonight's quarterfinal matchup with top seed UTEP. Game action will begin at 1 p.m. Eastern today, and the Knights will return to the arena to watch Houston-Memphis matchup to start the day.

- Doug Richards

Thursday, March 11 - 9:19 a.m.

Speraw's day begins early, or yesterday never end?
After a late game last night, head coach Kirk Speraw appeared on The Beat of Sports with Marc Daniels and Mike Bianchi around 8:15 a.m. local time Thursday to talk about the Knights' big win over SMU. Seemingly Speraw got up early to appear on the program. Or did he? The head coach watched three or four UTEP game films early Thursday, and worked on UCF's gameplan for tonight's 10 p.m. Eastern quarterfinal clash with the top-seeded Miners. So one has to wonder if Speraw got any sleep.

- Doug Richards

Thursday, March 11 - 1:57 a.m.

Stay up late with the Knights Thursday
When UCF faces top-seeded UTEP Thursday in the Conference USA Championship quarterfinals, the contest will tip-off at 10 p.m. Eastern in Tulsa. UCF fans can stay up late to watch the Knights, as the game will air live nationally on CBS College Sports. Dave Ryan and Pete Gillen will be on the call.

- Doug Richards

Wednesday, March 10 - 11:10 p.m.

Dominant Knights lead SMU 56-42 with 7 minutes left
TULSA, Okla. - UCF has a commanding 56-42 lead on SMU in first-round play of the Conference USA tournament with 7:48 remaining in the game. UCF is trying to win its second C-USA tourney game in school history. The Knights last won a tournament game in 2006, beating East Carolina 65-52. UCF's dominance is somewhat surprising considering that it lost 65-43 to SMU in Dallas back on Jan. 27. Isaac Sosa had four 3-pointers and 14 points for the Knights, while Taylor Young three 3-pointers and 13 points. UCF trailed by seven early, but rallied to lead 32-30 at the break. The Knights have led by as much as 12 in the second half and have dominant throughout.

- John Denton

Wednesday, March 10 - 10:20 p.m.

Hot Knights lead SMU 32-30 at half
TULSA, Okla. - UCF weathered an early charge and responded in impressive fashion to storm to a 32-30 halftime lead against SMU in first-round play of the Conference USA tournament. Down as much as seven points in the game's first seven minutes, UCF delivered with a 17-4 turnaround keyed by coach Kirk Speraw's adept switch to a 1-3-1 zone defense. UCF led 28-22 late in the first half after Isaac Sosa drilled a baseline jump shot. Taylor Young (10 points) and Sosa (11 points) torched the Mustangs for five 3-pointers in the first half. UCF has shot the ball extremely well and played with confidence - directly opposite of the Jan. 27 loss to SMU when the Knights shot poorly in the first half. Sosa, who has battled confidence issues this season, was aggressively seeking out shots and he carried the Knights for long stretches. Sosa made four of eight shots and three of six 3-pointers in the first half. He had a 3-pointer at the buzzer rim out. UCF is up despite SMU hitting six first-half 3-pointers on 10 attempts.

- John Denton

Wednesday, March 10 - 9:30 p.m.

Knights out to redeem themselves vs. SMU
TULSA, Okla. - UCF is just minutes away from tipping off its first round game against SMU in Conference USA tournament play, and the Knights are a focused group looking to redeem themselves. UCF lost 65-43 back on Jan. 27 to SMU in suburban Dallas. That night, UCF trailed 41-16 at the half, never led and fell behind by as much as 30 points in the second half. The Knights are vowing this time will be different because they have matured as a team and are better equipped offensively. UCF coach Kirk Speraw is actually more worried about how the Knights' youngsters respond to the pressure of postseason play. ``That's the question, how will they respond to tournament play? It's different and more intense, people getting after it and there's a great sense of urgency,'' Speraw said. ``It'll be very interesting to see how our guys respond.'' UCF point guard A.J. Rompza is playing with some soreness in his right knee, but he isn't expected to be limited in the game. Undoubtedly, UCF's hopes today ride on All-Freshman selections Keith Clanton and Marcus Jordan. Clanton has to remain aggressive in the post and UCF needs Jordan's playmaking abilities in half-court situations. ``Those guys made good progress and now they have a foundation underneath them,'' Speraw said. ``It will be interesting to see how they grow during the course of their careers.''

- John Denton

Wednesday, March 10 - 4:54 p.m.

Tournament brings opposing teams together
After the Knights left campus Monday afternoon, the UCF travel party flew to Houston before arriving in Tulsa. The Knights were joined on their flight to Oklahoma by the Southern Miss squad. Conference tournaments have a way of bringing opposing teams together. UCF is staying at the Crowne Plaza downtown, just a block away from the BOK Center. Also staying at the hotel is SMU, UCF's opening-round opponent.

- Doug Richards

Wednesday, March 10 - 2:54 p.m.

Knights dealing with late start
Among the many concerns for ninth-seeded UCF tonight against eighth-seeded SMU in the Conference USA tournament opener for the Knights is the tip time for the game. The game is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. locally, which of course is 9:30 p.m. EST. It's the last of four games on Wednesday at the BOK Center.The team had a 9:30 a.m. team breakfast and had some events scheduled throughout the day to occupy the time. But the common theme is for rest and the players to stay off their feet.

``It's a long time for our guys to be antsy all day because there will be nerves,'' UCF coach Kirk Speraw said. ``It'll be a long day, but we'll try to keep them moving. Playing this late will be another first for them, and we'll see how they respond.''

Taylor Young said there are usually benefits to playing late games like this, such as when the Knights play Memphis and the Texas teams during the regular season. But a game this late with this much downtime presents different circumstances, he said. ``Ideally, I like later games on the road so we can get our rest from the travel,'' Young said. ``But we got (to Tulsa) a couple of days early, so I don't know what effect (the late start) will have. Hopefully we'll stay off our feet and be ready to go.''

- John Denton

Wednesday, March 10 - 12:06 p.m.

UCF's tour of Tulsa continues
On Tuesday, the Knights practiced at Will Rogers High School, near the Tulsa campus. The team's tour of Tulsa continues today as the squad is currently having its shootaround at Oral Roberts across town. The Knights are continuing preparations for tonight's contest with SMU. After practice, UCF will head over to the BOK Center to watch Houston play East Carolina.

- Doug Richards

Wednesday, March 10 - 10:05 a.m.

The waiting game begins
Gameday is here for the Knights, but not for a while. As the Knights are currently heading to breakfast in Tulsa, their 9:30 p.m. Eastern contest with SMU seems like it is days away. Head coach Kirk Speraw plans to make sure his squad stays busy Wednesday. After breakfast, the team will meet to go over the SMU scouting report and watch film. Up next is a shootaround session. Speraw hopes to also take his team to the BOK Center to watch some of the earlier games in the tournament.

- Doug Richards

Tuesday, March 9 - 10:13 p.m.

Time for some more film
The Knights are back at their hotel, the Crowne Plaza, for an evening film session. The squad just returned from dinner at Outback, and is now watching more film on Wednesday's Conference USA Championship opening-round opponent SMU. On Wednesday morning, the Knights will have a shootaround, and head coach Kirk Speraw also expects to take his team to some of the earlier contests at the BOK Center.

- Doug Richards

Tuesday, March 9 - 5:05 p.m.

Knights get glimpse of BOK Center
After a formal practice Tuesday morning at a local high school, the Knights got their first look of the BOK Center, the site of the Conference USA Championship, Tuesday afternoon. UCF had a 55-minute shootaround session at the spacious venue. The Knights spent most of their time at the 19,000-seat venue getting familiar with shooting inside the arena. According to senior guard Drew Speraw, the squad enjoyed its first glimpse of the BOK Center. "It is nice. It is like an NBA arena," he said. "It reminds me a lot of the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Shooting went well. It has a nice feel to it. It really feels like a shooter's arena. In a lot of the arena with long backdrops, it is sometimes tough to shoot in. This one felt good shooting in. The rims were nice. Overall, it is a good shooting arena."

- Doug Richards

Tuesday, March 9 - 4 p.m.

Knights lose heartbreaker to Tulane in C-USA tourney
TULSA, Okla. - There will be no back-to-back Conference USA championships for UCF's women's basketball team.

UCF's bid to upset top-seeded Tulane make another stirring run in the C-USA tournament came to an end on Tuesday when Chassity Brown converted a fastbreak layup with six seconds remaining. And when UCF's Aisha Patrick missed a difficult runner in the lane at the buzzer the eighth-seeded Knights had to live with the pain of a gut-wrenching 63-62 loss to Tulane in second-round play of the C-USA tourney.

UCF led 62-59 with 2:06 to play, but failed to convert down the stretch. The Knights turned the ball over twice and missed two shots.

"Obviously, we're very disappointed because we came here with great expectations. It's disappointing because we felt like we had the game and let it slip through our hands," UCF coach Joi Williams said. "We have a lot to learn from this game. Hopefully this loss will propel us forward and we'll take it into next season."

Chelsie Wiley, the hero of UCF's overtime defeat of Marshall on Monday, had 16 points and four 3-pointers. Patrick, a sophomore from Rockledge, played all 40 minutes and had 10 points and 14 rebounds. Emma Cannon added 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

UCF became the first school in league history to win four games in four days last year and won the C-USA tournament. The Knights made all the key plays down the stretch on Monday, winning for the first time all season in 15 tries when trailing with 5 minutes to play.

UCF seemed poised to rally for another win on Tuesday, but a costly offensive foul and a quick shot down the stretch undermined the afternoon. It was reminiscent of late January in Orlando when Tulane rallied from 10 down with five minutes to play for a 72-70 defeat of the Knights.

"The run that UCF made last year was in the back of our minds. And it helped that it happened in our gym," Tulane coach Lisa Stockton said. "We knew this would be a tough matchup because (UCF) has a great team. We find a way. Sometimes something magical happens when you find a way."

- John Denton

Tuesday, March 9 - 1:40 p.m.

Scout team getting starters ready for SMU
Coaches always expect members of their scout team to challenge their starters in practice. The goal of any scout team player should be to prepare the starters and key reserves for the upcoming game. During UCF's practice Tuesday morning at a Tulsa-area high school, sophomore guard Ben O'Donnell made sure that the scout team gave the starters all that they could handle. The point guard drove to the basket, hit 3-pointers and made excellent choices with the ball in his hand, punctuated by a bullet pass from the top of the key to sophomore center Jakub Kusmieruk down low. On defense, the Largo, Fla., native hounded junior guard Taylor Young and sophomore guard A.J. Rompza. If O'Donnell's play Tuesday is any indication, the Knights should be ready to face SMU Wednesday night.

- Doug Richards

Tuesday, March 9 - 1:30 p.m.

Knights off to stellar start vs. Tulane
TULSA, Okla. - UCF's women's basketball team is off to a solid start in the Conference USA tournament this afternoon, leading top-seeded Tulane 20-9 with 10 minutes to play in the first half. UCF's zone defense has frustrated Tulane so far, holding the Green Wave to five of 18 shooting and forcing three turnovers. They have missed six of seven 3-point tries. Tulane made nine of 12 threes against UCF in January in Orlando. Offensively, Chelsie Wiley - the hero of Monday's opening win - has eight points and two 3-pointers for the Knights. UCF has made seven of 14 shots and is playing with supreme confidence.

- John Denton

Tuesday, March 9 - 12:45 a.m.

Knights thrive in afternoon schedule
TULSA, Okla. - UCF made a historic run through the Conference USA tournament last spring by playing mostly afternoon games, and the Knights are in a similar cycle again this year. UCF beat Marshall in Monday's first game, and the eighth-seeded Knights tip off against top-seeded Tulane in 20 minutes. UCF coach Joi Williams thinks the morning/afternoon schedule suits her team best. She said UCF practices at 7 a.m. daily just for this reason - so that the players are ready for the early schedules of tournament time. ``We'll do great (with the early tipoff),'' Williams said. ``We're in the same routine, we're playing early and there's not a lot of time to think about it. And we like early because we practice at 7 a.m. That's what (the early practice) is for.''

- John Denton

Tuesday, March 9 - 12:40 a.m.

Knights confident in facing Tulane
TULSA, Okla. - UCF's women's basketball team can take a major step toward winning a second consecutive Conference USA tournament today if it can upset top-seeded Tulane. And the eight-seeded Knights know very well that they have what it takes to beat the Green Wave when the second-round game tips off at 1 pm. EST. UCF led Tulane by 10 points with 5 minutes to play on Jan. 31, only to falter repeatedly down the stretch and lose 72-70. Tulane's winning points came off another UCF turnover in the final seconds. The loss, one in which UCF did not have standout forward Emma Cannon, had quite an effect on the Knights. They followed that up by winning the next three games and six of the final nine games. ``Even playing without Emma we had every opportunity to win that game,'' UCF coach Joi Williams said. ``They've had a great season and have been very consistent, while we've been very inconsistent. The difference now is that we've been very consistent this last month. ``Those turnovers we had at the end of that (Tulane) game really stayed with us. And after that game you saw a turnaround for us. We know we can compete with (Tulane), but we have to compete for 40 minutes and can't have lulls.''

- John Denton

Tuesday, March 9 - 10:59 a.m.

Knights continue preparations for SMU
UCF is currently at Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, practicing in preparation for Wednesday's Conference USA Championship opening-round game with SMU. After a two-hour practice session at the school, the Knights will head to the BOK Center for an hour shootaround.

- Doug Richards

Tuesday, March 9 - 10:18 a.m.

Clanton, Jordan join elite group
When Keith Clanton and Marcus Jordan were named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team this morning, it marked just the seventh time since the formation of the league in 1995 that one school placed multiple players on the all-rookie squad. In most cases, the two teammates who have been honored in the past both went on to strong college careers, and often to the NBA. In 2006, Memphis placed both Chris Douglas-Roberts and Shawne Williams on the all-freshman team. Louisville had both Taquan Dean and Francisco Garcia selected in 2003. Back in 2000, DerMarr Johnson and Kenny Satterfield of Cincinnati were named to the squad. DePaul placed a league-record three players on the 1999 team, including Quentin Richardson and Bobby Simmons, who are both still playing in the NBA. Ironically, Richardson was a product of Whitney Young High School in Chicago, the same school that Jordan graduated from.

- Doug Richards

Tuesday, March 9 - 9:03 a.m.

UCF's quarterfinals matchup rematch of thriller
The women's basketball team will face top-seeded Tulane in the quarterfinals today at 1 p.m. EST. Despite playing against a Green Wave team that is 23-6, UCF will have confidence in the matchup because of the thrilling game the two teams played earlier this season. On Jan. 31, UCF fell to the Green Wave 72-70 in Orlando, but the confidence stems from the fact that UCF had a 65-55 lead with five minutes remaining. Couple that with the fact the Knights were also without all-conference performer Emma Cannon the first time around, and Monday's quarterfinal meeting should be an another excting contest. Listen live to a broadcast of the game beginning at 1 p.m. EST.

- Andrew Gavin

Monday, March 8 - 10:42 p.m.

The Knights Have Arrived in Tulsa
After a brief layover in Houston, head coach Kirk Speraw's Knights arrived in Tulsa around 10 p.m. Central Monday. The team left the UCF campus this afternoon after a midday practice. Once arriving at their hotel, the Crowne Plaza downtown, the Knights had a quick team meeting and film session. Tuesday will include more film, a practice at a local high school and a quick workout at the site of the tournament, the BOK Center. The arena is located just a block from the team's hotel. UCF's Conference USA Championship opener is still nearly two days away. The Knights will open the event on Wednesday against SMU at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.

- Doug Richards

Monday, March 8 - 10:23 p.m.

Under the Radar Patrick Shines Again
Outside of the UCF women's basketball circle, sophomore Aisha Patrick does not get much attention. However, if you talk to UCF's coaches and players, she is constantly praised for her play and importance to the team. The Rockledge, Fla., native was at it again Monday afternoon. She played all 45 minutes of UCF's overtime victory over Marshall, totaling eight points, 10 rebounds and five steals. She also held the Herd's Chantelle Handy to just two points. Twice snubbed from the C-USA All-Defensive Team, Patrick continues to slow the best perimeter players in C-USA. While many may not take notice, UCF head coach Joi Williams certainly appreciates her efforts.

``She was the difference for us. She was outstanding," said Williams. "She did a great job on Chantelle Handy at the start and whoever she guarded because she's always a force defensively. She came up with some big-time steals and made some things happen. She's a player who is very important for us.''

- Andrew Gavin

Monday, March 8 - 4:05 p.m.

Knights win in OT in C-USA opener
TULSA, Okla. - UCF is moving on to second-round play of the Conference USA tournament thanks to some clutch shooting from juniors Chelsie Wiley and Emma Cannon. Wiley hit a game-tying 3-pointer in regulation and then sank four free throws in overtime of UCF's thrilling 59-57 OT defeat of Marshall in opening day play at the C-USA tournament in Tulsa. Cannon, a junior forward, also made two free throws with 42 to seconds to play to break a 53-all tie. UCF led 27-17 at the break, but struggled much of the second half and trailed 47-41 with 2:43 to play. But UCF locked down defensively and got two 3-pointers from Wiley to force overtime. And once there, the experienced Knights thrived under the pressure. ``It's a sigh of relief for us,'' UCF coach Joi Williams said. ``I'm really proud of how our team fought back, fought through adversity, hit some big shots and hit some free throws when we needed them.'' Eighth-seeded UCF now plays top-seeded Tulane Tuesday at 1 p.m. EST. UCF is seeking a second consecutive C-USA title after becoming the first team in league history to win four games in four days last season to claim the C-USA crown. Wiley, UCF's most clutch player all season, led the Knights with 19 points. D'Nay Daniels scored nine points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Cannon chipped in eight points and seven rebounds. Aisha Patrick, a sophomore from Rockledge, was big throughout the game with eight points, 10 rebounds and five steals.

- John Denton, UCFathletics.com

 

Monday, March 8 - 3:10 p.m.

Knights-Marshall in OT in C-USA opener
TULSA, Okla. - UCF junior guard Chelsie Wiley hit a clutch 3-pointer with 32.6 seconds remaining to tie the game against Marshall, but teammate Angelica Mealing missed a runner with one second left. UCF and Marshall are in overtime in the opening game of the C-USA tournament from Tulsa's Reynolds Center. UCF leads 53-52 in OT with 2:18 to play. UCF is seeking a second consecutive title after becoming the first team in league history to win four games in four days last season to claim the C-USA crown. UCF led by 10 at the half, but fell behind by as many as six points late in the second half before mounting a rally.

- John Denton, UCFathletics.com

 

Monday, March 8 - 2:50 p.m.

Knights tied with 8 minutes left in C-USA opener
TULSA, Okla. - Eighth-seeded UCF is tied with ninth-seeded Marshall 38-38 with 8:31 to play in the opening-round play of the Conference USA tournament. The winner plays top-seeded Tulane tomorrow at 1 EST. Aisha Patrick and Chelsie Wiley lead the Knights with eight points. UCF dominated the first half, forcing 17 turnovers in the first 20 minutes while building a 27-17 lead at the break. UCF started the second half by missing its first four shots and turning the ball over three times. Still, the Knights have not trailed since 4-2. Poor free throw shooting and some sloppy ball-handling has allowed Marshall to stay close after trailing by as many as 11 points. UCF has scored just 10 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half.

- John Denton

Monday, March 8 - 1:50 p.m.

Knights off to strong start in C-USA Tourney opener vs. Marshall
TULSA, Okla. - Playing with a hunger defensively, UCF's defense is off to a smothering start in Conference USA play. The Knights have forced 17 Marshall turnovers and lead 27-17 at halftime in the opening game of the C-USA Tournament play at Tulsa's Reynolds Center. Junior guard Chelsie Wiley has two 3-pointers and eight first-half points to lead the eight-seeded Knights. D'Nay Daniels and Aisha Patrick each have six points, while Angelica Mealing and Marshay White have combined for five assists. Marshall has gotten off just 18 shots in the first half because it has been unable to solve UCF's smothering man-to-man defense. The Knights have six steals and seemingly have the Thundering Herd frustrated offensively. UCF scored eight consecutive points late in the half to blow out to the 11-point lead.

- John Denton

Monday, March 8 - 10:01 a.m.

Knights in pursuit of second title
TULSA, Okla. -- UCF's pursuit of a second consecutive Conference USA women's basketball title is about to begin with the eighth-seeded Knights (10-15 overall, 7-9 in C-USA) taking on ninth-seeded Marshall (14-15, 6-10) here at Tulsa University's Reynolds Center. The Knights have been adamant about the fact that they aren't defending the championship that they captured last season while impressively winning four games in four days. It was UCF's first C-USA women's title. But head coach Joi Williams wants her Knights in attack mode instead of trying to defend something. That's why she's talked more about being pursuers than defenders. ``We're just talking about pursuing a championship. We're not going in with the thought that we're defending something,'' Williams said. ``That's what everybody will say, but we want to go in pursuit like the other 11 teams. That's what we're constantly talking about.'' UCF split two games with Marshall this season, winning most recently in Orlando. The key today will be rebounding the ball and limiting turnovers. Williams feels that last season's championship run will help this season's team understand the pressures of tournament play. After a mostly up and down season, she's happy that UCF is hitting the postseason at time when it is playing its best basketball of the season. ``We're 6-3 over month of February and the first game of March and we feel good about that,'' Williams said. ``We have experienced players and it's just a matter of getting it done.''

- John Denton, UCFathletics.com

 

Monday, March 8 - 10:01 a.m.

Gameday Arrives for Knights
Gameday has finally arrived for UCF. The Knights held shootaround early this morning and then had pre-game meal. The team will leave within the hour to head to Reynolds Center. UCF vs. Marshall at 1 p.m. EST.

- Andrew Gavin

 

Sunday, March 7 - 8:55 p.m.

Knights hold film session as pursuit continues
After three long but enjoyable days on the road recruiting, I was excited to finally arrive in Tulsa Sunday and see our players and coaches. They have been working hard the past three days in preparation of pursuing a championship, and I loved getting back together with the team. After a nice dinner at Carrabba's, we returned to the hotel to watch film. This gave us a chance to go back and re-evaluate oursevles on tape, an important part of getting better every day. Just over 12 hours until game time. Go Knights!

- Assistant Coach Courtney Locke

 

Sunday, March 7 - 4:31 p.m.

D'Nay Daniels discusses UCF's first-round game
After a spirited practice at the Reynolds Center on Sunday, I had the opportunity to speak with junior D'Nay Daniels in the hotel lobby and discuss UCF's first-round game against Marshall. Daniels and I touched on how the Knights will draw from the experience of winning last year's tourney and also the team's strengths heading into Monday's game.

- Scott Adams

 

Sunday, March 7 - 11:44 a.m.

Reynolds Center brings back good memories
Continuing preparations for Monday's first-round matchup with Marshall, UCF held practice Sunday morning at the Reynolds Center. Just eight days after beating Tulsa 50-49 on Feb. 27, being in the arena brought back good memories for the Knights. Junior Chelsie Wiley hit a game-winning buzzer beater with 0.4 seconds that day to give UCF the win. A Tulsa volunteer greeted the Knights at the Reynolds Center Sunday, and the first question he asked was, "where is the young lady who hit the game-winning shot?" Clearly now a well-known player, Wiley hopes to add to her celebrity status in Tulsa by leading the Knights to the C-USA tournament title this week.

- Andrew Gavin

 

Saturday, March 6 - 9:58 p.m.

C-USA Video Preview with Coach Brown
Before heading to Tulsa, I had the chance to sit down and preview the women's tourney with associate head coach Greg Brown on Friday afternoon. Coach Brown shared his thoughts on what the team learned from winning the 2009 championship, the Knights' first-round opponent Marshall and the team's play down the stretch.

- Scott Adams

 

Saturday, March 6 - 9:33 p.m.

UCF mindset about pursuit not defense
With the Knights entering the 2010 C-USA Tournament as the defending champs, the phrase "defending the championship" will commonly be uttered this week by those around the league. However, the Knights mindset is not about defending anything, it is about the pursuit of the 2010 C-USA Championship. I caught up with head coach Joi Williams and juniors Chelsie Wiley and Emma Cannon at practice Friday to discuss this mindset and their thoughts entering Monday's first round game. Read More

- John Denton

 

Saturday, March 6 - 8:42 p.m.

Cannon honored among C-USA's best players
UCF junior Emma Cannon added to her laundry list of career accomplishments Saturday when she was voted onto the C-USA All-Conference Third-Team. Cannon enters the tournament as the reigning MVP after leading the Knights to the title in 2009. To read more about Cannon's season and award, click here.

- Andrew Gavin

 

Saturday, March 6 - 8:15 p.m.

UCF women's basketball arrives in Tulsa
After a morning practice at the UCF Arena and a long afternoon of travel, the UCF women's basketball team arrived in Tulsa Saturday evening. The Knights went straight to P.F. Changs to enjoy a nice dinner before checking into the tournament's official hotel, the Renaissance. The players will spend the evening hanging around the hotel before getting a good night's sleep. Monday's game less than 48 hours away.

- Andrew Gavin

 

Thursday, March 4 - 11:10 a.m.

UCFAthletics.com to provide complete coverage from Tulsa
With both the 2010 Conference USA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships being held in Tulsa, Okla., UCFAthletics.com will be providing the most complete coverage of the Knights at the tournaments. Starting Sunday, March 13, this blog will have frequent updates about the Knights' activities in Tulsa. Additionally, John Denton will be bring his Knights Insider to both championship events.

- Doug Richards