ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF women's basketball team heads to Tampa for its first of two War on I-4 contests against South Florida on Sunday.
The Knights (9-6, 1-2 The American) and the Bulls (10-7, 2-1 The American) tip at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in the Yuengling Center.
GAME INFO
Date: Sunday, Jan. 19
Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
WAR ON I-4
UCF heads to Tampa for the first of two War on I-4 contests against the Bulls.
Announced in Sept. 2016, the Knights and Bulls compete in the War on I-4 rivalry series - a yearly scored competition highlighted by the annual Thanksgiving weekend clash between the universities' football teams. The competition features scoring in head-to-head contests between all of the universities' sports teams. Sports that don't compete directly against each other accrue points for best conference post-season performance.
Six points are available for each sport, divided among the amount of meetings. Three points are on the line for Sunday's contest as the squads will meet again in February in Orlando.
UCF holds a 24-6 advantage in the 2019-20 edition of the rivalry series with victories by its volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer and football teams. South Florida picked up six points at the cross country championship. Three points are up for grabs at the UCF-South Florida men's basketball game on Saturday evening.
The Knights won their third straight overall War on I-4 trophy with a final tally of 70-14. UCF won the inaugural 2016-17 trophy, 51-33, and the 2017-18 edition 49-35.
KNIGHT NOTES
UCF heads to Tampa looking to get back on track after dropping back-to-back league contests against two of the top teams in the conference. The Knights are led offensively Kay Kay Wright who averages 15.1 points per game, 3.9 assists per game and 2.3 steals per game.
Seven double-digit performances, including a career-high 21 points, bumped Brittney Smith to a 10.0 points per game scoring average. Smith is second in rebounding with 5.3 boards per game.
Sianni Martin averages 9.5 points per game and is shooting 44.2 percent from beyond the arc. Masseny Kaba leads the Knights with 6.5 boards per game and also averages 8.2 points per game.
The Knights defense has stepped up this season. UCF ranks 31st nationally in turnovers forced at 20.40 per game. The Knights are holding their opponents to 58.5 points per game which ranks 52nd in the nation.
UCF sits just behind South Florida in The American and ranks 35th nationally with a 75.1 free throw percentage.
Complete Game Notes
SCOUTING THE BULLS
South Florida enters the weekend with a 10-7 overall record and a 2-1 mark in league play. The Bulls won their first two conference contests before falling 69-66 at Temple on Thursday. A trio of Bulls average double figures, led by Elena Tsineke's 12.7 points per game. Sydni Harvey averages 11.1 points per contest. Bethy Mununga nearly averages a double-double with 10.6 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per contest.
The Bulls rank seventh in the nation in offensive rebounds, averaging 16.6 o-boards per game. USF also ranks seventh in rebounding margin at 11.6.
South Florida leads the all-time series 25-8, but the Knights are on a two-game win streak against the Bulls after sweeping the series last season.
NEXT UP
The Knights continue their road stretch on Jan. 22, heading to Tulane for an 8 p.m. contest in New Orleans.
TICKETS FOR 2019-20
The UCF women's basketball team is in its fourth season under head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. Purchase season tickets by clicking here or calling (407) 823-1000.
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.
