ORLANDO – The UCF women's basketball team is back in Addition Financial Arena to host Temple on Monday afternoon.
Originally scheduled for Sunday, January 2, the contest will now tip off at 3 p.m. ET in Addition Financial Arena. Tickets purchased for the original game on January 2 will be honored for the rescheduled game on January 31st.
The matchup between the Knights (14-3, 6-1 The American) and the Owls (9-8, 4-2 The American) will be aired live on ESPN+.
GAME INFO
Date: Monday, Jan. 31
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats
Purchase Tickets
OH CAPTAINS, OUR CAPTAINS
UCF's captain trio of Masseny Kaba, Tay Sanders and Diamond Battles stepped up for the Knights in the comeback win over Tulane on Jan. 26.
The Black and Gold jumped out to a 5-0 start against the Green Wave, but quickly found themselves down by 13 points, 22-9, at the end of the first quarter. Kaba started the comeback spark in the second period, scoring nine of UCF's 20 points in the frame. Sanders scored 10 points to lead the Black and Gold in the first half. Battles poured in nine points of her own, including a 6-0 run by herself in the final 1:23 of the third period to pull UCF within three, 51-48. The trio opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run to reclaim the lead for the Knights.
They combined for 57 of UCF's 69 points, shooting 63.2 percent (24-38) from the field. Battles led the way with 21 points. Sanders added 19 points and Kaba chipped in a season-high 17 points.
KNIGHT NOTES
- The Knights rank third in the nation, limiting opponents to 50.6 points per game. UCF is also 14th nationally in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to a 35.0 field goal percentage.
- UCF averages 11.4 steals this season, which ranks 22nd in the country, and is 45th with 19.59 turnovers forced. The Black and Gold have forced each opponent this season into double-digit turnovers, with seven committing 20+ turnovers.
- Diamond Battles paces the Knights with 14.3 points per game, having reached double figures in 13 contests this season. The Winter Haven, Fla., native is one of four league players with five or more 20-point contests this season.
- Tay Sanders garnered the first American Athletic Conference Player of the Week accolade of her career after averaging 20.5 points per game while shooting 57.7 percent from the field in the wins over Houston and South Florida. She is UCF's second-leading scorer on the season, averaging 11.6 points per game.
- Alisha Lewis, who tied The American and UCF single game records with 10 steals against Houston, ranks 13th in the country in steals per game, averaging 2.94. Her 50 steals ranks 32nd among Division I student-athletes.
- Destiny Thomas leads UCF and ranks 114th nationally with 8.1 rebounds per game. She is one of six league players with six or more games with 10+ rebounds this season.
- The Knights, who have appeared among the teams receiving votes in 11 straight USA Today/WBCA Top 25 polls so far, made their season debut on the receiving votes list of the AP Top 25 on Jan. 17.
SCOUTING TEMPLE
The Owls are 9-8 overall, with a 4-2 mark in league play. Temple is 5-4 on the road this season.
Mia Davis leads the Owls – and the league – with 18.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Alexa Williamson adds 10.4 points per game and ranks third in the league with 1.5 blocks per game. Aniya Gourdine averages 4.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
The Owls lead the all-time series 9-7 but the Knights have a 5-4 advantage in Orlando.
NEXT UP
UCF hosts Memphis on Feb. 5. The Knights will celebrate National Girls and Women In Sports Day at the 2 p.m. contest.
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Gameday 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. Click here to download the app now.