CORAL GABLES, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The historic 2018-19 UCF women’s basketball season came to a close on Friday evening as the Knights dropped a 60-45 decision to Arizona State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
UCF ended its season with a 26-7 overall record, setting a record for victories in a season.
The Knights got off to a slow start, falling behind 8-2 but were able to pull within five, 12-7, at the end of the first frame on a buzzer-beating jumper from Kay Kay Wright. The Sun Devils (21-10) pushed ahead by as many as 14 in the second quarter but Wright used another buzzer beater to pull the Knights within 10, 26-16, at halftime.
Despite falling behind by 22 points, 46-24, in the third quarter, the Knights stayed true to their identity, and never showed any quit. UCF scored eight unanswered between the end of the third quarter and the opening two and a half minutes of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 12, 48-36. The Black and Gold traded baskets with the Sun Devils down the stretch but were never able to get any closer.
Kay Kay Wright led the Knights with 18 points. Jamesha Paul and Masseny Kaba each added eight points. Nyala Shuler pulled down six rebounds and dished out a team-leading four assists.
All season long, the Knights reached milestone after milestone, setting records along the way. UCF received votes in the USA Today/WBCA coaches poll in each of the 19 weeks, and picked up its first-ever votes in the AP Top 25, appearing in 10 polls on the season. Posting a 13-3 record in the American Athletic Conference, the second-place Knights made their first appearance in The American’s title game for the first time since the league’s inception in 2013.
They made history again when the NCAA Tournament bracket was released - earning the program's first at-large bid and the highest seed in the Knights' five appearances.