ORLANDO - Despite four double-digit scorers and outrebounding the Bearcats, the UCF women’s basketball team (11-10, 2-9) was unable to overcome Cincinnati (12-10, 4-7) in a close battle Wednesday night in Addition Financial Arena, 67-61.
Mya Burns led the Knights with 19 points while shooting 7-8 from the free-throw line. Khyala Ngodu tallied 11 points and a career-high 13 rebounds to earn her second double-double of the season. Kaitlin Peterson added 12 points while Laila Jewett chipped in 11 going 8-8 from the free-throw line.
Cincinnati started the game by making four of its first five shots, putting the Knights in an early 13-5 hole. It was a low-scoring affair for both teams in the first quarter as neither shot the ball well after Cincinnati’s initial start. Jayla Kelly scored the next points for the Knights on an assist from Sierra Godbolt to cut the lead to 13-7. Following that basket, the Bearcats went on a three-minute scoring drought with the Knights capitalizing to form a 6-0 scoring spurt. Cincinnati led at the end of the first, 14-11.
The second quarter started similar to the first as the Bearcats made three of four shots to open the frame. UCF was forced into a timeout as Cincinnati built their lead to 27-20. Following the break, the Knights ended the quarter on a 10-0 run, taking a 30-27 lead into the locker room. Jewett cashed in on a triple to begin the run, totaling seven points in the first half to pace the Knights. UCF forced the Bearcats into nine turnovers, resulting in 14 points for the Black and Gold.