ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - UCF suffered its first loss of the season, falling 67-64 to Virginia Tech in CFE Arena on Saturday afternoon.
"I actually think that we can win every single game, if we stick to our game plan," head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said. "And we stuck to it, but then there were times that we took some times off and we didn't stick to it. It's going to be a process; it's going to be a journey."
The Knights defense was stifling in the final minute of action. UCF (3-1) forced two straight turnovers to rally from a five-point deficit with just over a minute remaining. Senior Zykira Lewis pulled the Knights within a point, 65-64. Virginia Tech (4-0) sank a pair of free throws to extend its lead to three, 67-64, with six ticks left on the clock. Lewis had a clean look at the basket, but her shot rolled off the rim as the Hokies were able to hold on for the win.
Lewis lead the team with 14 points, while sophomore Jamesha Paul had a career-best 12 points. Junior Fifi Ndour and sophomore Kayla Thigpen each grabbed nine rebounds, while Ndour dished out a team-high three assists.
All nine Knights that saw game action recorded at least two points and grabbed a minimum of two rebounds each.
Tight Quarters
* Saturday's contest was a back-and-forth affair between the Knights and the Hokies.
* The squads traded leads seven times and knotted the score up on seven occasions.
* Each team scored 10 points in the opening quarter. After Virginia Tech took a 26-24 lead into halftime, the Knights outscored the Hokies 22-20 to end the third quarter in a 46-46 tie.
* Both squads scored four fast break points, while UCF held a 15-11 edge in second chance points.
* The Knights shot better from the floor (40.3 percent), but the Hokies drained 10 treys.
Board Room
* In all four of its games this season, UCF has held the edge on the boards.
* The Knights grabbed 43 rebounds in the loss to Virginia Tech, while the Hokies recorded 39.
* All nine Knights that saw the floor collected at least two rebounds.
* Redshirt senior Joslyn Massey and junior Fifi Ndour each had a game-high three boards on the offensive glass.
UCF is back in action on Tuesday, heading to Butler for a 7 p.m. contest against the Bulldogs. The Knights are back at CFE Arena for the Thanksgiving Classic. The Black and Gold open the two-day event against Rider at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 26.
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