NEW ORLEANS, La. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker to Tulane falling, 60-59, on Wednesday evening in Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.
UCF (10-8, 2-3 The American) looked to hand Tulane (11-8, 6-0 The American) its first conference loss of the season as Brittney Smith put the Knights up 59-58 in the final minute. However, Krystal Freeman scored what turned in to the game-winning basket just 10 seconds later to allowed the home team to keep its league record unblemished.
On the night, the game was a back-and-forth battle, with six ties and 12 lead changes. The teams were knotted at 16 at the end of the first quarter. Kay Kay Wright sped down the floor to give UCF a 28-27 edge with 31 seconds left in the second quarter, only for Tulane to respond with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to take a 30-28 edge into the locker rooms.
The Green Wave extended its lead to as many as six points in the opening minutes of the third quarter but UCF responded with a 9-0 run to close the frame and take a 49-45 advantage into the final quarter. Tulane outscored UCF 15-10 in the final 10 minutes to claim the victory.
A trio of Knights finished in double figures, led by Brittney Smith's game-high 20 points. She was just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds. Georgia Gayle hit four three-pointers for 12 points and Masseny Kaba added 10.
Kay Kay Wright dished out six assists. Diamond Battles finished with five assists and a trio of steals.
NEXT UP
The Knights return to Addition Financial Arena to host Memphis on Jan. 25. The teams will tip at 2 p.m. on the American Digital Network.
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