ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – After two weeks on the road, the UCF women's basketball team returns to CFE Arena to host Tulsa on Saturday. The Knights and Hurricane face off at 1 p.m.
Saturday's game will serve as the Military Appreciation game, and the first 250 fans will receive a free t-shirt. Doors open at noon.
UCF (12-6, 2-3 The American) looks to keep its winning streak going after earning back-to-back road wins over Houston and East Carolina. The Knights outscored the Pirates 18-2 in the final seven minutes of action on Wednesday to earn the program's first-ever win in Greenville.
The top two Knights on offense this season have been senior Zykira Lewis and junior Aliyah Gregory. Between the two, they have combined to lead UCF in scoring in the last 12 games. Lewis leads the way, averaging 15.7 points per game on the season and 13.6 in league play. The Bartow, Fla., native, who ranks 10th in the nation in steals, has a team-leading 59 on the season.
Gregory is not far behind, averaging 12.7 points per contest on the season and paces UCF with 14.2 in conference play. The Tampa, Fla., native ranks fourth in the league in steals with 38 on the season and shoots 41.2 percent from the field.
A double-double effort from Fifi Ndour at East Carolina pushed the junior even with redshirt senior Joslyn Massey in rebounding in league play. Both grab an average of 5.8 per contest. Sophomore Tolulope Omokore grabbed seven offensive boards in the win at ECU, bringing her season total to 65. Freshman Korneila Wright, who was named The American Freshman of the Week on Monday, leads the team and ranks seventh among conference players with 3.9 assists per game.
The Knights pace the league and rank sixth in the nation in steals (225). UCF is also eighth in the country steals per game (12.5). The Black and Gold lead the league in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 54.6 points per game, and are fourth in turnover margin.
Tulsa enters the matchup with a 5-13 overall record and a 1-4 mark in The American. The Hurricane have dropped three straight games, including Tuesday's 98-58 decision against No. 1 UConn.
Erika Wakefield paces Tulsa with 11.9 points per game and leads the Hurricane with 31 steals and 59 assists. Kendrian Elliott grabs an average of 7.2 rebounds per contest and has a team-high 13 blocks.
The Pirates rank third in the league in three-point field goals made (.7.2) and three-point field goal percentage (.349) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (0.9).
The Knights once again face a familiar opponent in Tulsa, as Saturday's contest marks the 14th overall meeting. UCF hold the 7-6 edge in the all-time series, but the Hurricane closed the gap by winning the last meeting. Both teams won at home to split last season's series.
Next up, UCF welcomes Cincinnati to CFE Arena. The Knights host the Bearcats at 7 p.m. on the American Digital Network.
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Don't miss any of the action during Coach Abe's first season with the Knights. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. Adult season tickets are available for $30, and youth tickets (ages 2-17 years) are available for $15.
