ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – UCF used a 17-0 run to take the lead heading into the fourth quarter, but was unable to hold off a late rally from Memphis. The Knights dropped a 65-62 decision to the Tigers in an American Athletic Conference matchup in CFE Arena on Saturday afternoon.
"I thought everybody really, really stuck together and was trying really, really hard to stick to the game plan," head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said. "We've got to move on; we don't live in the rearview mirror. (The team) will stay focused because they want to win; we just have a lot of learning to continue to do."
Memphis hit buzzer-beating shots twice in the first half to break the tied scores and take an advantage into the next 10 minutes of action. The Tigers looked to be in control in the third quarter, starting off with an 11-3 run to push their lead to double digits, 41-31, with 6:57 remaining.
The Knights responded, holding Memphis scoreless for the next 6:54 seconds. UCF (10-6, 0-3 The American) started its 17-0 run with a pair of free throws from senior Zykira Lewis and saw its largest lead of the day, 48-41, on a layup from redshirt sophomore Nyala Shuler. Memphis (8-8, 1-2 The American) ended the run with a jumper just before the buzzer to make it a 48-43 advantage for the Knights heading to the fourth quarter.
Opening the final frame with five unanswered Memphis points, the teams found themselves tied for the first of six times in the last quarter. Trading baskets, neither team was able to get more than a three-point lead before the opposing squad responded to even things up.
Finding her team trailing by one, 58-57, Lewis hit her third three-pointer of the game to put the Knights ahead, 60-58, with 2:54 left to play. Back-to-back Memphis buckets gave the Tigers a 62-60 edge, but sophomore Tolulope Omokore went up strong to the basket to knot the score at 62 with just under a minute remaining.
The Tigers held the Knights scoreless for the remainder of the contest and hit three clutch free throws to seal the victory.
Zykira Lewis led the Knights with 18 points and had four assists and three steals for UCF. Tolulope Omokore finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, while junior Aliyah Gregory added 10 points for the Knights.
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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