ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF women's basketball team begins its final three-game stretch of the regular season on Wednesday as the Knights host Temple in Addition Financial Arena.
The Knights (16-9, 8-5 The American) and the Owls (15-11, 7-6 The American) will tip at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN3.
GAME INFO
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 26
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Watch: ESPN3
Listen: UCFKnights.TV on Twitch
Purchase Tickets
Promotions: Greek Knight – NPHC Strolling at halftime
MAKING MOVES
With just three games left in the regular season, the Knights are within striking distance of second place in the American Athletic Conference standings.
A five-game win streak propelled the Knights up the league standings. A three-game stretch against the top three teams in the conference has the Knights sitting at 8-5 overall, just one game behind the Bearcats with three games remaining. UCF, who finished second in the league in 2018-19, was selected to tie with Cincinnati for third in the preseason coaches poll.
KNIGHT NOTES
UCF returns to Addition Financial Arena for its second-to-last home contest of 2019-20. The Knights saw a five-game win streak come to an end at No. 5/6 UConn on Feb. 22, but again played the regular season champion Huskies close in a 66-53 defeat.
The Knights are led by Kay Kay Wright who averages 16.7 points per game, 4.0 assists per game and 2.3 steals per game. The Orlando native became the sixth Knight in program history to reach the 1,500-point mark as she scored 12 points at UConn over the weekend. She is just nine points away from fifth all-time at UCF.
The Knights have also seen a sophomore surge from Brittney Smith, who joins Wright as a double-digit scorer for the Black and Gold. Fourteen double-digit performances, including a pair of 20-point games, bumped her to a 10.8 points per game scoring average. The Orlando native is also second in rebounding with 5.1 boards per game.
Masseny Kaba averaged a double-double (10.5 points, 10.0 rebounds) last week. The Dorchester, Mass., native posted her first double-double of the season against the Huskies with 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. The junior forward leads the Knights with 6.7 boards per game and has 24 blocks on the season while averaging 8.5 points per game. Sianni Martin is UCF's third-leading scorer with 8.7 points per game.
The Knights rank 29th nationally in turnovers forced at 20.04 per game, having forced 24 of their 25 opponents into 10 or more turnovers. The Black and Gold hold a 3.60 turnover margin which ranks 45th in the nation. UCF's scoring defense also ranks 37th nationally as the Knights are limiting opponents to 57.5 points per game.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
UCF welcomes Temple for the second meeting between the squads this season. The Knights dropped a heartbreak in Philadelphia on Jan. 29, as the game-tying basket bounced off the rim at the final buzzer to give the Owls a 67-65 victory.
Temple enters Wednesday with a 15-11 overall record and a 7-6 mark in league play. The Owls are currently fifth in the league standings.
A trio of Owls average double figures, led by Mia Davis. The junior averages a double-double for Temple with 18.8 points per game and 10.4 rebounds per contest. In conference play, she's averaging 18.5 points per game and 9.9 boards per contest. Ashley Jones averages 16.7 points and Marissa Mackins averages 13.1 points for the Owls. Asonah Alexander leads Temple with 4.3 assists per game and Shannen Atkinson averages just under a block per game for the Owls.
Temple holds an 8-5 advantage in the all-time series between the squads. The Owls put an end to UCF's four-game win streak in the series with the home victory earlier this season.
NEXT UP
UCF heads to Memphis for its final regular season road trip. The Knights face the Tigers at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday in Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
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