HOW IT HAPPENED
Both sides struggled to keep the ball during the opening minutes, as each capitalized early on to get points on the board. Mahogany Chandler-Roberts made her mark in the paint, with three buckets in the first four minutes of action. While the Pirates took a 13-12 lead into the media timeout, it was all Black and Gold from there on.
The Knights’ bench, which tallied 49 points on Monday against South Carolina State, reinforced the squad, with Jasmynne Gibson and Summer Yancy contributing to a 13-0 UCF run to end the opening period and give the group a 25-13 lead. Connecting on six of their last nine field goal attempts, the Knights scored the most points in a first quarter this season, all while forcing five Pirate turnovers on the defensive end.
While East Carolina strived to crawl back in the contest, UCF continued to find open looks, keeping their lead above five points for the majority of the second period. The offensive output was sustained by the bigs, as Khyala Ngodu, Savannah Scott and Chandler-Roberts secured the first five field goals of the quarter for the Black and Gold. It wasn't until a Leah Harmon three-pointer with 90 seconds to go in the half, her team-leading 13th of the campaign, that the Knights scored from beyond the arc.
The Pirates cut the deficit to six in the final minute from the charity stripe, giving UCF a 38-32 lead heading into the break. 28 of the Knights’ 38 points came in the paint, with Ngodu the focal point with 10 points in the first 20 minutes.
Following a tamer second quarter, UCF’s offense picked it back up out of the half, as Ngodu resumed her dominance in the paint with three swift layups. Samari Bankhead tallied her first points of the contest to up the Knights’ lead back up to double digits. A physical spell of play saw the Knights head to the charity stripe on multiple occasions, hitting all four of their attempts.
Harmon’s torrid stretch to open her UCF account was on full display once again today, as the sophomore pulled up from well beyond the arc for her second three-pointer of the afternoon, putting the Knights up a game-high 17 points at the end of the third period.
With a strong buffer heading into the final 10 minutes, Chandler-Roberts surpassed her career high with 12 points, all while the Knights kept the momentum to finish off a commanding win, 75-61.
UP NEXT
UCF will look to sustain its form tomorrow at 12:30 EST against Wake Forest. Dating back to 2023, the Knights have won four straight at the Discover Puerto Rico Shootout.
SINGLE GAME AND SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
UCF women's basketball single-match and season tickets are on sale now. Be sure to catch all the action at Addition Financial Arena. Tickets can be purchased online at ucfknights.com/tickets or by calling the ticket office at (407) 823-1000.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.
