ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The first basketball installment of the 2018-19 War on I-4 will take place on Tuesday evening in Tampa. UCF will face South Florida in the Yuengling Center.
Three points are on the line as the Knights (12-2, 1-0 The American) head west for the in-state matchup with the Bulls (10-5). The contest will air at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.
Notes to Know
- At 12-2, UCF is officially off to its best start in program history.
- The Black and Gold won their American Athletic Conference opener for the second straight year with a 68-55 victory at Memphis on Jan. 5.
- UCF earned a vote in the AP Top 25 for the first time in program history on Jan. 7.
- The Knights picked up a program-best nine votes in the USA Today/WBCA Top 25 on Dec. 31, extending its program-long streak to eight straight weeks receiving votes.
- Kay Kay Wright has scored in double figures in all 14 games and is UCF’s leading scorer with 18.9 points per game.
- The Orlando native dished out seven assists at Memphis, pushing her into a tie for seventh all-time at UCF with 322 career assists.
- UCF’s leading rebounder is Nyala Shuler with 7.4 boards per contest. She moved into fifth all-time in career rebounds this season with 724 and counting.
- Kayla Thigpen scored a career-best 20 points to help UCF defeat Memphis, shooting 72.7 percent from the floor. The West Palm Beach native was 5-for-5 from the floor in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 points in the final 10 minutes of play.
- Established in September 2016, UCF and South Florida are in the third year of the War on I-4 rivalry series.
- The Knights currently have a 24-6 lead, thanks to victories in volleyball, men’s soccer and football, and a higher finish at The American Cross Country Championship.
- UCF won the 2016-17 and 2017-18 overall War on I-4 trophies.
- Since the squads meet twice on the hardwood this season, each matchup will be worth three points.
Scouting the Opponents
- Tuesday’s matchup is the 32nd meeting between the two programs and the Bulls hold a 25-6 edge in the series.
- South Florida is 10-5 on the season and opened American Athletic Conference play with a 63-53 win at Temple.
- Laura Ferreira leads the Bulls with 15.8 points per game and averages a team-best 4.0 assists per game.
- Sydni Harvey averages 13.5 points per contest as a freshman and is second on the squad in assists with 3.4 a game.
- Alyssa Rader is the Bulls’ top rebounder, averaging 7.8 boards per game, while Shae Leverett pulls down 6.4 rebounds per contest.
After five straight road contests, UCF returns to CFE Arena to host Cincinnati. The noon American Athletic Conference game will air on ESPNU.
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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