ORLANDO - Nevaeh Brown recorded her 1,000th career point to help the UCF women’s basketball team triumph over Arizona State, 85-76, Wednesday night in Addition Financial Arena.
UCF (9-14, 2-11 Big 12) forced 20 turnovers and snagged 14 steals while ASU (8-17, 2-11) led the night with 39 rebounds and five blocks. Both teams recorded 14 assists a piece.
Kaitlin Peterson led the Knights in scoring, racking up 34 points followed by Brown (19) and Emely Rodriguez (15). Brown’s standout performance included five assists and zero turnovers.
UCF came onto the court hot, forcing more Arizona State turnovers (11) than points allowed in the first quarter (10). The Knights’ stellar defensive performance paid off on the other end where they converted those stops into 14 of their points. Peterson completed an and-one to grab her first of many buckets and ignite a 12-2 run early for the Knights. The Black and Gold’s continuous defensive effort and a steal from Adeang Ring lent the home team another 14-point run to end the quarter, giving them a 19-point edge.
UCF finished the first with a season-high 29-point quarter. The last time the Knights played a better opening quarter was in 2022 when they recorded 33 points against Cincinnati. They were also able to pick up 10 of their 14 total steals in the first, the second most for the squad this season.
ASU came out in the second with renewed energy only giving up four turnovers this go-around. UCF began to waiver on the offensive side, only able to record 10 points. However, they continued to hit the boards hard, grabbing 10 rebounds. Now able to get their footing, the Sun Devils closed the scoring gap with an 18-3 run, only allowing the Knights to lead by seven at the half, 39-32.
The Sun Devils traded points with the Knights throughout the third, grasping to stay within striking range. However, a trio of threes from Rodriguez gave UCF the boost needed to outscore ASU 24-19 and stretch its lead back to double digits, 63-51.
Rodriguez returned from a five-game absence due to injury to give the Knights a boost and record her best three-point percentage to date (0.75), helping the Knights grab their second conference win of the season.
Although the Black and Gold were outscored 25-22 in the final quarter, they managed to stay on top in the final stretch. Brown sank a free throw to record her 15th point of the night and her 1,000th point of her career to add one extra accolade to the team's outstanding evening performance.
The Knights will be back in action Saturday in Manhattan, Kansas, where they will face No. 14 Kansas State, which is scheduled for a 5 p.m. tipoff.