ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – Two members of the UCF women's basketball team will be recognized following the regular season finale against ECU on Monday evening.
Seniors Aliyah Gregory and Zakiya Saunders will suit up for their final regular season contest in CFE Arena. A senior ceremony for the duo will be held following the 7 p.m. contest.
UCF (19-9, 11-4 The American) will take on ECU (15-13, 7-8 The American) for the lone regular season meeting between the squads.
STELLAR SENIORS
Aliyah Gregory and Zakiya Saunders will play their final regular season contest in CFE Arena on Monday evening.
Gregory, who joined the 1,000-point club last season, currently ranks sixth on the all-time scoring list with 1,386 points. She ranks fifth with 559 made field goals as a Knight. During her four-year career, she has tallied 70 double-figure performances, scoring 20 or more points 13 times. She's reached the 30-point mark on three occasions, pouring in a career-best 34 points to help UCF earn its first win at then-No. 22 USF last season.
After sitting out the 2016-17 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules, Saunders has played a key role for the Knights in this season. Currently leading UCF in scoring, she has reached double figures in 20 of her 23 appearances this season, reaching the 20-point mark five times and scoring a career-best 31 against No. 21 USF.
AROUND THE AMERICAN
The Knights clinched their highest finish as members of the American Athletic Conference, securing the third seed with their 64-59 victory at Houston on Feb. 24. UCF, who was the preseason fourth selection, added a program-best 11th win in The American with the victory over the Cougars.
The top four teams in the standings will receive a first round bye at The American Championship, which will begin on March 3. The Knights will play at noon on March 4, facing the winner of the No. 6 – No. 11 contest.
Zakiya Saunders leads the Knights and ranks 10th in the league with an average of 16.1 points per game. Masseny Kaba, Saunders and Nyala Shuler are among the top 15 in the conference with averages of 6.9, 6.5 and 6.4 rebounds per game, respectively. Saunders is second in the league in steals (3.0), while Korneila Wright ranks fourth in assists (4.5) and fifth in steals (2.3) per game.
SCOUTING THE PIRATES
- ECU brings a 15-13 overall record into the regular season finale, with a 7-8 mark in The American.
- The Pirates lead the all-time series, 13-5, and but the Knights swept the regular season during 2016-17 to cut the deficit.
- Ariyana Williams paces the ECU offense with 9.1 points per game, while Thais Oliveira adds 8.3 points per contest and has a team-leading 43 blocks
- Salita Greene is the top rebounder for the Pirates, averaging 6.3 per game.
- Lashonda Monk leads ECU with 67 steals on the season, while Alex Frazier has a team-high 109 assists.
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android phone! The app provides personalized information for men's and women's teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and even breaking news.