ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – A second half adjustment led the UCF women's basketball team to a 67-57 win over SMU in Addition Financial Arena on Saturday afternoon.
UCF (12-8, 4-4 The American) and SMU (9-11, 3-5 The American) got off to a slow start and the Knights held a 17-16 edge after the first quarter. The Black and Gold fell behind by six points in the second quarter before going on a seven-point spurt to reclaim the lead. The Mustangs hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the teams into the locker rooms with a 32-32 tie on the scoreboard.
Kay Kay Wright took over in the third quarter, scoring eight points to push the Knights in front by as many as eight points in the frame. UCF lead 48-45 heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Knights began to pull away from the Mustangs following the fourth quarter media timeout. Baskets from Brittney Smith, Wright and Sianni Martin put UCF up by double figures and timely defensive stops kept the Knights in control of the game.
UCF, who improved to 10-1 in Addition Financial Arena this season, held a 33-29 rebounding advantage over the Mustangs, and outscored SMU 36-12 in the paint.
Eight Knights saw action, with all eight finishing with at least two points and two rebounds.
Wright led all scorers with 22 points, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe. She became the seventh Knight in program history to reach the 1,400-point mark, scoring the 1,413th point of her career. She also moved into sixth on the career charts with 549 made field goals.
Brittney Smith added 16 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Sianni Martin chipped in 14 points.
Destiny Thomas matched her career-best with a game-high 10 rebounds. Diamond Battles dished out a game-best eight assists.
NEXT UP
UCF heads to Tulsa for a midweek matchup on Feb. 5. The Knights and the Golden Hurricane will tip at 8 p.m. ET on the American Digital Network.
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