ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – The seniors stepped up in a big way, scoring 56 points in the regular season finale as the UCF women's basketball team cruised to a 95-50 win over Wichita State in Addition Financial Arena on Monday evening.
UCF (19-9, 11-5 The American) clinched the No. 2 seed in the 2020 American Athletic Conference Championship with Monday's win over Wichita State (15-14, 7-9 The American). The Knights enter the tournament as the second seed for the second straight year and have a first round bye for the fourth consecutive season under UCF head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson.
The Knights shot 56.1 percent (32-57) from the floor and 61.1 percent (11-18) from beyond the arc to score a season-best 95 points. The Black and Gold also scored 26 points off 21 Wichita State turnovers and held a 40-22 rebounding edge.
UCF held an 18-15 lead after the first quarter but held the Shockers to just nine second quarter points to take a 36-24 lead into halftime.
The Black and Gold poured in 32 points on 83.3 percent (10-12) shooting in the third quarter to balloon the lead to 68-36 heading into the final 10 minutes. The Knights added 27 in the final frame, outscoring the Shockers 59-26 in the second half.
The senior duo of Kay Kay Wright and Sianni Martin each achieved milestones in Monday's victory.
Wright, who shot nearly 62 percent from the floor, scored a career-high 37 points, which is tied for the fourth-most points in a single game in UCF history. The Orlando native moved into third place on UCF's career charts with 1,588 points in her final regular season home game. She also dished out a game-high six assists, putting her career total at 492.
Entering the regular season finale, Martin was 13 points shy of reaching 1,000 points in her collegiate career. She surpassed the milestone with one minute remaining in the third quarter, draining a three-pointer to push her over the mark.
Georgia Gayle added 12 points for the Knights. Brittney Smith grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Destiny Thomas matched her career-best with a pair of blocks.
NEXT UP
UCF heads to Uncasville, Conn., for the 2020 American Athletic Conference Championship. The Knights, who earned a first round bye for the fourth straight year, will open tournament action on March 7, facing the winner of the No. 7 Wichita State - No. 10 Houston matchup.
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