ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – With the regular season winding down, the UCF women's basketball team heads to Houston for a Saturday matinee.
The teams will tip off at 1 p.m. ET in the H&PE Arena and the game will air on the American Digital Network.
UCF (18-9, 10-4 The American) will take on Houston (20-8, 9-5 The American) for the lone regular season meeting between the squads.
DOMINANT DEFENSE
The UCF defense has held opponents to an average of 54.2 points per contest, which ranks 10th in the country. The scoring defense is also the best is program history, and marks the first time since the 2004-05 campaign with back-to-back seasons of holding opponents under 60 points per game.
Zakiya Saunders and Korneila Wright rank among the top 50 in the country in steals per game. Saunders leads the team with 2.82 steals per contest, while Wright averages 2.52 steals per game.
AROUND THE AMERICAN
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Knights are third in the league with a 10-3 record. The Cougars sit just behind UCF with a 9-5 mark.
UCF, who was selected to finish fourth in The American preseason poll, has set a new program-best win total in The American at 10 victories. The top four teams in the standings will receive a first round bye at The American Championship, which will begin on March 3.
Zakiya Saunders leads the Knights and ranks 10th in the league with an average of 16.1 points per game. Masseny Kaba, Nyala Shuler and Saunders are among the top 12 in the conference with averages of 6.7, 6.6 and 6.4 rebounds per game, respectively. Saunders is second in the league in steals (3.0), while Korneila Wright ranks fourth in assists (4.6) and fifth in steals (2.5) per game.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
- Houston enters Saturday's contest with a 20-8 overall record, and are fourth in the league with a 9-5 mark.
- The Knights lead the all-time series, 12-6, and have won three straight against the Cougars.
- Jasmyne Harris leads four Cougars in double figures, averaging 20.1 points per contest. She has made 71 three-pointers this season and is shooting 36.4 percent from three.
- Angela Harris averages 14.8 points per game and leads the team with 103 assists and 86 steals.
- Seritha Hawkins averages 12.1 points per game and averages 8.2 rebounds per contest, while Dorian Branch adds 10.2 points per contest.
NEXT UP
UCF concludes regular season action on Monday, hosting ECU at 7 p.m. in CFE Arena. Seniors Aliyah Gregory and Zakiya Saunders will be recognized following the game.
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