ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – UCF returns to CFE Arena on Saturday, hosting Memphis at 2 p.m. in an American Athletic Conference matchup.
The Knights look to snap a three-game skid when the Tigers come to town. UCF (10-5, 0-2 The American) used a 16-6 run in the fourth quarter to close the gap in Cincinnati, but came up short at the buzzer, 63-57.
Junior Aliyah Gregory, who has been the top scorer in three of the last four games, paces the Knights with 16.5 points per game in league play. She ranks fifth in the league in scoring and eighth in minutes played (38.5).
Senior Zykira Lewis is 16.1 points per game on the season and 13 per contest in league play. She ranks sixth in the nation in steals with 51, and moved into second on UCF's all-time scoring list in Wednesday's loss at Cincinnati.
Junior Fifi Ndour has a team-leading 12 rebounds in conference action, and she ranks sixth in the league with seven offensive boards. Redshirt senior Joslyn Massey leads the Knights on the season with 101 rebounds.
The Knights rank fourth in the nation in steals (193) and 10th in steals per game (12.9). The Black and Gold are 10th in the country in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 17.86 per contest. UCF leads the league in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 55.1 points per game.
Memphis enters the matchup with a 7-8 overall record and an 0-2 mark in The American. The Tigers dropped their league opener at home against Temple in overtime and fell 57-52 at Tulsa on Jan. 4.
Three Tigers average double figures, led by Cheyenne Creighton's 15.1 points per game. Creighton ranks seventh in the league with her 7.9 rebounding average, fourth with a 54.0 field goal percentage, and has a team-leading 11 blocks. Brea Elmore averages 12.7 points per game, while Taylor Williams adds 11.9 points per contest.
The Tigers rank second in the league with 9.8 steals per game.
Familiar foes, UCF and Memphis square off for the 24th time on Saturday. The Tigers hold the advantage in the all-time series, 13-10, and have won the last six matchups.
Next up, UCF is on the road for back-to-back league games. The Knights travel to Houston to face the Cougars on Jan. 11 and head to East Carolina on Jan. 18. The Black and Gold are back in CFE Arena to host Tulsa at 1 p.m. on Jan. 21.
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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.
