ORLANDO – The UCF women's basketball team closes out the regular season at Tulsa on Wednesday, March 1 for the second matchup this season. The Knights (13-13, 4-10 AAC) and the Golden Hurricane (16-12, 6-9 AAC) game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m.
A UCF WIN WOULD...
• Extend the win streak to three
• Be UCF's fourth American Athletic Conference win this season
• Improve the Knights to 14-13 on the season
• Give Sytia Messer her 14th win as head coach for the Knights and 68th of her career
• Be better than a loss
SERIES BREAKDOWN
Overall: UCF leads 15-8
In Tulsa: UCF leads 6-5
In Orlando: UCF leads 8-2
Neutral Site: Tied 1-1
Last meeting: L, 75-80 in Orlando (1/7/23)
Streak: Tulsa won 1
THE RUNDOWN BETWEEN UCF AND TULSA
The Knights will look to continue their two-game win streak after the overtime win against Cincinnati on Senior Knight (Saturday, Feb. 25). UCF's Mya Burns and Destiny Thomas rallied together with each scoring at least 20 points, marking the first time the Knights have had two players with 20 points in the same game since Feb. 21, 2021, when the Knights also defeated Cincinnati.
Tulsa seeks to end its six-game losing streak following a 60-37 loss to Houston on Saturday, Feb. 25. Temira Poindexter and Delanie Crawford each recorded 10 points against Houston.
Currently, the Golden Hurricane swirl in at No. 1 in the AAC in three-point attempts per game (29.6) and three-pointers per game (9.9).
This matchup will include two of the top five players in the AAC ranked for blocks with UCF's Destiny Thomas showcasing 41 blocks (ranked No. 2 in AAC) and Tulsa's Temira Poindexter with 40 (ranked No. 4 in AAC).
LAST TIME OUT
Headlined by a pair of 20-point scorers for the first time this season, UCF women's basketball sent its seniors out with a 64-54 win against Cincinnati Saturday afternoon in their final game inside Addition Financial Arena. Seniors Destiny Thomas and Mya Burns shouldered the load for the Knights, as Thomas earned her 12th double-double with 21 points and 20 rebounds along with four blocks. Burns contributed 20 points, six rebounds and two steals.
SCOUTING TULSA
The Golden Hurricane are 16-12 overall with a 6-9 mark in league play heading into the game on Wednesday.
Four members of Tulsa's squad average double figures, led by Temira Poindexter's 15.9 points per game, making her mark in the AAC ranked No. 3 in field goal attempts with 403. Delanie Crawford averages 11.4 and leads the Golden Hurricane in assists with 85. Maddie Bittle and Maya Mayberry average 10.9 and 10.6, respectively. Poindexter is also ranked No. 4 in the AAC with 40 blocks and 1.43 blocks per game.
Wednesday marks the 24th overall matchup between the Knights and Golden Hurricane. UCF leads the all-time series 15-8, with the Knights holding a 6-5 advantage in Tulsa.
LAST TIME VERSUS TULSA
The Knights led through the first half, but the Golden Hurricane applied pressure to come out on top 80-75 in the last meeting on Jan. 7, 2023. The Knights struggled from the field in the third quarter going 4-16, while recording a perfect 8-8 from the free-throw line. The Black and Gold shot 52.9% from the field in the fourth quarter, but Tulsa was able to maintain its lead to take the game 80-75. Anzhané Hutton recorded a season high and her first double-double of the season with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Laila Jewett and Rachel Ranke each hit three three-pointers to score in double digits with 14 and 13 points. Mya Burns led the Knights from the free-throw line going 7-8, recording 10 points.
UCF IN THE STATISTICAL RANKINGS
The Black and Gold are ranked in the top 50 in four statistical categories including No. 9 in offensive rebounds per game with 16.0 and rebounds per game (43.54), 21st in free-throw attempts per game (21.42) and 23rd in field-goal percentage defense (36.2). UCF is first in the AAC in rebounds per game and field-goal percentage defense along with second in offensive rebounds per game. The Knights are ranked No. 3 in the AAC in free-throw attempts per game, defensive rebounds per game and turnovers forced per game (16.54).
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DESTINY
Individually, Destiny Thomas is third in the nation (No. 1 in AAC) for offensive rebounds per game (5.0) and 13th in rebounds per game (10.8). Thomas has recorded 12 double-doubles this season and ranks 34th in the country in that category. Her program-record tying 24 rebounds against Seton Hall are the third most by an NCAA DI player this season behind Angel Reese from LSU (28) and Ajulu Thatha from SIUE (25). In the AAC, she is one of two players averaging a double-double along with South Florida's Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu. Thomas recorded a career-high 24 points on Jan. 15 against Wichita State.
CAPITALIZING ON THE FREEBIES
Headlined by a season-high 23 free throws made against Idaho State (12/20) and Cincinnati (2/8) along with 33 attempts against Cincinnati (2/8 and 2/25), the Knights are third in the conference with 14.20 free-throws made per game. UCF is second in the conference for free-throw attempts per game with 21.42.
Mya Burns leads the Black and Gold with a .784 free-throw percentage (58-74). Burns has been perfect from the free-throw line in six games this season.
JEWETT'S GEM
Jewett recorded a career-high 34 points in UCF's 79-74 double overtime victory against Samford on Nov. 26. Jewett's 34 points came via impressive 56 percent shooting from the field (9-16), including five made triples on nine tries from beyond the arc. That total is tied with South Florida's Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu and East Carolina's Danae McNeal for the most points by any player in the AAC this season.
60 = MAGIC NUMBER
The Black and Gold are 10-1 when limiting their opponent to 60 points or less. UCF led the season off by limiting its first three opponents to 60 points or less. In the most recent win against Temple, UCF kept the Owls to 53 points. The 53 points against Temple is second for lowest points against a conference opponent, as the Knights held Memphis to 50 on Feb. 11 in the 50-48 overtime loss with 50 points being the lowest this season.
OFF THE GLASS
Showcased by a season-high 56 rebounds against Temple (2/21), the Knights have outrebounded their opponent by more than 110 total boards. UCF is 10-5 when it outrebounds its opponent. Prior to starting AAC play, the Knights were 9-0 this season when they outrebounded their opponent. The 56 rebounds are the most rebounds in a game for UCF since the 2015-16 season when it recorded 62 rebounds on Jan. 1, 2016, against Cincinnati.
BIG BLOCKS
Two Knights rank in the top 15 in the AAC in blocks per game. Destiny Thomas leads with 1.64 blocks per game, landing at the No. 1 spot in the AAC rankings. Mya Burns taps into the AAC rankings at No. 11 with .96 blocks per game.
RECORD WATCH
Destiny Thomas has recorded 93 blocks in her career to make it into the UCF top 10 at No. 6 in most blocks with No. 1 being Ali Roberts with 219. The senior forward also leaped into the top 10 for most rebounds with 681, landing at No. 7, with the No. 1 spot being held by Tamika Coley (1,211).
