ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – Despite falling behind early, the UCF women’s basketball team remained calm and rallied for a 64-57 win over Pacific in CFE Arena on Monday evening.
UCF (9-1) and Pacific (6-2) both entered the game on five-game win streaks, but the Knights were the squad that was able to extend its streak to six.
The Tigers jumped out to an early seven-point advantage, 9-2, and held a 19-13 edge after the first 10 minutes of play. The Knights responded in the second frame, outscoring the Tigers 17-8 to take a 30-27 edge into halftime.
UCF continued to push out of the locker room, going up by as many as 13 points, 49-36, with 55 seconds left in the third quarter. The Black and Gold withstood a late push from Pacific and relied on clutch free throws down the stretch from Kay Kay Wright to clinch the home victory.
For the third consecutive game, Kay Kay Wright reached the 20-point mark. She sank a career-best 16 free throws en route to 27 points. The Orlando native dished out four assists in 36 minutes of action.
Sydnee McDonald added 10 points and collected a pair of steals. Three Knights grabbed six rebounds each – Tolulope Omokore, Fifi Ndour and Kayla Thigpen. Thigpen matched Wright’s four assists and Omokore tied McDonald with two steals.
Just Wright
- Kay Kay Wright has finished in double figures in all 10 of UCF’s games this season.
- The Orlando native set a UCF single game record and tied an American Athletic Conference single game record, sinking 16 free throws in the victory.
- Wright has now tallied three consecutive 20-point games this season and bumped her season average to 20.4 points per game.
Still Streaking
- UCF extended its win streak to six games – its longest streak since the 2016-17 campaign.
- The Knights improved to 4-0 in CFE Arena and closed out the home portion of the non-conference slate undefeated on their home floor.
- The Black and Gold’s 9-1 record officially matches the best start to a season as a Division I program. The 1984-85 squad also started 9-1.
The Knights head to the west side of the state for the St. Pete Shootout. UCF will take on Liberty on Dec. 21 before facing No. 14/15 Syracuse on Dec. 22 at Eckerd College.
TICKETS FOR 2018-19
The UCF women's basketball team is set for its third season under head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. Purchase season tickets by clicking here or calling (407) 823-1000.
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