STATESBORO, Ga. (UCFKnights.com) – Zykira Lewis made history in Hanner Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon. The senior guard, who entered the game four three-pointers shy of setting the career record, drained five from beyond the arc in the first half, leading the Knights to a 74-54 win over Georgia Southern.
"I was just happy I knocked down the shots," Lewis said. "I wasn't really focused on the record. I feel blessed, and I thank God for it. I'm just excited. It's something that is big for me, and I can make my mom and my family proud."
The Bartow, Fla., native has now made 215 three-pointers during her tenure as a Knight. UCF improved to 9-2 on the season and collected its fourth road win of the 2016-17 campaign. The Knights reached the 70-point mark for the third time this season while holding their 11th opponent under 70 points.
Lewis started things off for the Knights, draining her first shot less than 30 seconds into the game to give the Knights the early 3-0 lead. After Georgia Southern knotted the score, 12-12, at the 3:42 mark in the first quarter, sophomore Tolulope Omokore responded with a putback that put UCF in front for good. The Black and Gold pushed its lead to double digits on a three from Lewis in the second quarter and took a 44-32 edge into halftime.
The UCF defense turned it up a notch in the third quarter, holding the Eagles to just four points in the 10-minute frame. The Knights put the game out of reach to close out its road nonconference schedule with a win.
"I feel like (the team is) really, really excited," head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said. "After the game, looking at their faces and telling them that nine wins hasn't happened in a long time, you can see that they're really excited."
Zykira Lewis led the Knights with 21 points, turning in her fourth 20-point performance this season. Tolulope Omokore posted her second double-double of the season, scoring a career-high 20 points while grabbing a season-best 11 rebounds.
Junior Aliyah Gregory gave the Knights a trio in double figures, adding 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and dished out a season-best six assists. Freshman Korneila Wright handed out a career-best eight assists in the victory.
#OnZyre
• Senior Zykira Lewis claimed sole possession of three-pointers made (215) in her UCF career, draining five from beyond the arc in the first half.
• Entering the game, Lewis trailed Francine Houston (2004-07) by three treys. She tied Houston's record at the 2:06 mark of the first quarter.
• The Bartow, Fla., native passed Houston at the 2:31 mark in the second quarter when she hit her fourth three-pointer of the game.
• Lewis opened the game by hitting her first shot beyond the arc less than 30 seconds into the game and drained five in the first half.
Oh My, Omokore
• Sophomore Tolulope Omokore posted a double-double, scoring a career-best 20 points while pulling down a season-best 11 rebounds.
• Seven of Omokore's boards came on the offensive glass, leading to three easy buckets on putbacks.
• The Greenbelt, Md., native made a season-best eight shots from the floor and sank four buckets at the free throw line. She also recorded her first block of the season
• The forward posted her second double-double of the season and the fourth of her career.
Omokore on her performance: "I was pumped, even before the game. I was listening to music, telling myself that I was going to do some things in the game, and I actually did."
Third Quarter Throttle
• After holding a 44-32 lead at halftime, the Knights outscored the Eagles 15-4 in the third quarter.
• The Black and Gold limited Georgia Southern to just one point for nearly nine minutes of game action.
• UCF led by as many as 26 points, 59-33, when junior Fifi Ndour made a fast break layup with just over a minute left in the quarter.
• The Knights held Georgia Southern to just 7.7 percent shooting from the floor.
UCF returns to CFE Arena on Dec. 20 to host Omaha at 2 p.m. and closes nonconference play on Dec. 28 when UC Davis comes to town for a 7 p.m. contest.
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