ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – After two weeks on the road, the UCF women's basketball returns to CFE Arena for a Saturday matinee matchup against East Carolina.
Slated for a 2 p.m. start, the contest will serve as the team's Play4Kay game to raise breast cancer awareness.
The American Athletic Conference matchup will broadcast on the American Digital Network.
UCF (16-9, 6-6 The American) returns to action after a 66-62 road win over No. 22 USF on Feb. 14. The Knights not only collected the program's first-ever win in Tampa, but also the first-ever victory over a nationally ranked opponent.
Junior Aliyah Gregory became the 22nd member of the 1,000-point club on Tuesday. Entering the game just 10 points shy of the mark, she reached the milestone with 3:40 remaining in the first quarter. The Tampa native, who scored a career-high 34 points in the win over No. 22 USF, will be recognized for her accomplishment after the game.
The Knights have committed to lock-down defense this season. UCF is holding opponents to just 56.2 points per game, which ranks 22nd in the nation. The Black and Gold continue to lead the league and rank 14th in the country with an average of 11.6 steals per contest.
With five steals at No. 22 USF, senior Zykira Lewis moved into seventh place on the single season top 10 at UCF. The Bartow, Fla., native ranks 12th nationally with 80 steals during the 2016-17 campaign.
Offensively, the Knights have relied on the hot hands of Lewis and Gregory. The duo has combined to lead UCF in scoring in 22 of the 25 contests this season. Back-to-back career performances continue to move Gregory up in the ranks in The American. Her 21.2 points per game in league play are the second-most, trailing UConn's Katie Lou Samuelson who averages 21.9 points per contest.
Lewis, who became the second Knight in program history to reach 1,700 career points, averages 14.8 points per game in conference action. She has 56 three-pointers on the season, which marks her third-straight season ranking in the top 10 at UCF for single season three-pointers.
East Carolina enters Saturday's contest with a 10-16 overall record and a 1-12 mark in The American.
Kristen Gaffney leads the Pirates with 15.0 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per contest and 34 steals. Bre McDonald is second on the team in scoring (11.6), rebounding (6.1) and steals (32). Khadidja Toure paces the Pirates with 17 blocks on the season.
East Carolina holds a 14-5 advantage in the all-time series, but the Knights hold the most recent victory, a 54-42 win in Greensboro earlier this season.
Next up, UCF hits the road for one final time in the regular season. The Knights will take on a Tulane squad that is receiving votes in the national polls in New Orleans on Feb. 22.
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