Women's Hoops Edges Texas Tech, 61-60

ORLANDO - The UCF women’s basketball team won a hard-fought contest Saturday afternoon in Addition Financial Arena topping Texas Tech 61-60.

Texas Tech (14-15, 3-13 Big 12) led the game in assists 15-9 and outrebounded UCF (10-16, 3-13 Big 12) 37-33. However, the Knights swung the game defensively tallying seven blocks and forcing 18 turnovers to grab 19 of their final points.  

Texas Tech entered the arena hot, stealing a three-pointer on its first play of the game to eventually grab what ended up being its largest lead of the game, 5-11. Late in the first, Kaitlin Peterson turned on the burners for the Knights, sinking a three and igniting a 7-0 run. 

Peterson led the day with 20 points, marking her eighth consecutive double-digit game and her 11th game this season with 20 or more points. Khyala Ngodu added 13 points along with seven rebounds. 

Momentum slowed in the second quarter, with the Black and Gold only grabbing eight points, marking their lowest-scoring quarter this season. However, a strong defensive performance offset the slow-moving offense, with UCF forcing five turnovers in six minutes allowing it to lead by one, 20-19, heading into the locker room. 

 

The Knights started the second half renewed offensively, grabbing nine points in the first minute and a half thanks to a series of Lady Raiders’ turnovers generated into fast break points by Peterson and Emely Rodriguez. Texas Tech refused to let go of the game, trading points back and forth throughout the quarter, only lending the Knights a two-point lead to end the third quarter, 43-41.

A Texas Tech and one pushed them up by one to start the final quarter, but Ngodu answered with a jumper. The Knights stayed on pace to keep their edge over the Lady Raiders until a UCF two-minute scoring drought, a made three, and two free throws allowed Texas Tech to lead by one again, 54-53. Rodriguez ended the drought by sinking both free throws, and Peterson added on with back-to-back buckets in the last minute. In a last-ditch effort, the Lady Raiders made a final three with under a second left in the game but Ngodu had already put the game to bed sinking the final free throw of the game to put the Knights up by four allowing them to triumph 61-60. 

The Knights will wrap up their home season Tuesday, Feb. 25 against Iowa State. The team’s senior night is set to tip off at 7:00 p.m.