MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The UCF women's basketball team came up short in an overtime battle against Memphis 50-48 on Saturday afternoon in the Elema Roame Fieldhouse. Despite the Knights (11-11, 2-8 AAC) leading late in the fourth quarter, the Tigers (14-9, 6-4 AAC) tied the score towards the end of regulation and won in overtime.
The Knights and Tigers battled back and forth for most of the game with 12 lead changes and eight ties. In the fourth quarter, UCF led by five at 38-33 with 8:41 on the clock but Memphis countered with six unanswered points to take a 39-38 lead after a layup from Jamirah Shutes. The Knights knotted the score at 41, after a free throw from Anzhané Hutton.
The teams were held scoreless for the next five minutes until Hutton made a layup with 1:21 left in regulation to put the Knights ahead, 43-41. The Tigers tied it with two free throws from Shutes and UCF was unable to convert down the stretch to send the game into overtime.
Hutton opened the scoring in overtime with a free throw to make it 44-43, but Emani Jefferson helped the Tigers counter to take the lead with a layup off a UCF turnover and a pair of free throws to grab a 47-44 advantage. Sierra Godbolt split a pair of free throws, as UCF trimmed the lead to two. A jumper from Memphis gave the squad a four-point advantage with less than a minute remaining and UCF was unable to recover. Rachel Ranke hit a three-pointer just before the buzzer, but it wasn't enough as the Tigers escaped with the two-point victory.
Mya Burns led the Knights with 12 points and 13 rebounds to log her first double-double of the season. The North Augusta, South Carolina, native also added a season-high five blocks. Ranke was second on the team in scoring with nine points, while Hutton chipped in with eight.
Destiny Thomas pulled down 11 rebounds to mark her 13th game of the season with double-digit rebounds.
The Knights got off to a slow start in the game with Memphis scoring the first five points of the game. A three-pointer from Laila Jewett sparked a 13-0 run for the Knights, as they led by eight following the first quarter, 15-7.
UCF went on a scoring drought in the second quarter, as the Tigers took a 24-19 edge into halftime before a much better second half.
The Knights will be back in action at Addition Financial Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 15, as they face South Florida for the second matchup this season with tipoff slated for 7 p.m.