DALLAS, Texas (UCFKnights.com) - Junior Aliyah Gregory poured in a season-high 28 points, but it was not enough as UCF fell short against SMU, 63-58, in an American Athletic Conference contest inside Moody Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
UCF (13-9, 3-6 The American) jumped out to a 6-0 lead early in the first quarter on baskets from Gregory and senior Zykira Lewis. The Knights went up by as many as 11 points, 15-4, on a shot from junior Fifi Ndour, and carried an 18-9 advantage heading into the second quarter.
SMU (13-10, 4-6 The American) scored 17 unanswered points to open the second frame and take a 26-18 lead. Redshirt sophomore Nyala Shuler pulled UCF within single digits, 29-21, with a pair of free throws, but a Mustang layup just before halftime sent the home team into the locker room with a 31-21 edge.
The Knights matched the Mustangs point-for-point in the third quarter. A three-pointer from Lewis pulled UCF within single digits, 40-32, with 2:31 remaining in the frame. The Black and Gold came up with a stop on the defensive end. Freshman Korneila Wright swiped the ball and found Gregory on the fastbreak. The Tampa, Fla., native completed the old fashion three-point play to make it a five-point game, 40-35.
Continuing to fight in the fourth quarter, Gregory made it a one-possession game, 49-46, with 6:23 remaining. Shuler pulled UCF within two points, 51-49, but that was as close as UCF would get. SMU outscored the Knights 8-2 to put the game out of reach.
Aliyah Gregory led all scorers with 28 points and collected a pair of rebounds in 39 minutes. Zykira Lewis scored 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds and collected three steals in 39 minutes of action. Sophomore Tolulope Omokore pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds and tallied eight points for the Knights.
Next up, UCF returns to CFE Arena to host Houston on Feb. 8. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m., and 100 February bobbleheads are up for grabs for students.
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