Women's Hoops Hits the Road for Saturday Tilt at CincinnatiWomen's Hoops Hits the Road for Saturday Tilt at Cincinnati
Conor Kvatek / UCF Athletics

Women's Hoops Hits the Road for Saturday Tilt at Cincinnati

by Alex Clough

ORLANDO - A Saturday matchup against the Bearcats in Cincinnati serves as the third-to-last regular-season contest for UCF women's basketball, with the two programs set for their second game of the season at Fifth Third Arena.

The 2 p.m. tipoff will serve as an opportunity for the Knights to get back to winning ways after navigating a tough stretch of opponents alongside key injuries. In their last bout, Kayanna Cox was next in a line of players who have stepped up for head coach Sytia Messer, tallying a career-high 22 points against Kansas State.

  • Opponent: Cincinnati Bearcats
  • Date: Saturday, February 21
  • Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Venue: Fifth Third Arena
  • Time: 2 p.m. EST
  • On the Call: Anthony Mazzini (PxP) and Jillian Hayes (Analyst)

About the Bearcats

An overtime thriller went Cincinnati's way in the two teams' first meeting this season. The Bearcats stumbled after that result but have since picked up form, winning two of their last three, including a 76-67 triumph at BYU last time out. Cincinnati is led by the sharp-shooting efforts of Mya Perry, who hit a pair of threes in the aforementioned win in Orlando earlier this season. She ranks among the top 10 in made three's in a single season in the program's history.

Women's Basketball_CK_4981_021826_2007477550Photo by: Conor Kvatek

Career Night for Cox
Making her first start in Black and Gold, sophomore Kayanna Cox continued her strong form with expanded minutes, tallying a career-high 22 points (previous high of 13 set against No. 12 Baylor on Feb. 15) on a career-high five three-pointers and eight field goals. The performance marked just her third career game with double digits and first with 20 or more points. Over UCF's last four games, Cox is averaging 11 points per game. Cox is one of just two Knights this season to score 20-plus points, five or more made three's, five or more rebounds and three or more blocks, alongside Summer Yancy (Colorado, Jan. 18). The pair are two of just 14 in the Big 12 to have accomplished a game like that this season.

Who's Stepping Up?
Prior to Kansas State, the Knights played eight consecutive games against Big 12 teams ranked among the top half of the conference according to NET. During that time, established starters Leah Harmon (missed the last six games) and Khyala Ngodu (missed two games) have left room for other Knights to step up. Since Iowa State on Jan. 31, the Knights have displayed four different lineups. In that span (six games), the Black and Gold have had five different leading scorers, with Bracey (9.7 ppg), Ayson (8.7), Cox (7.3 ppg), and Chandler-Roberts (10.2 ppg) stepping up.

The More You Mo 
Sophomore Mahogany Chandler-Roberts has risen to the occasion in Big 12 play, averaging 8.6 points across UCF's 15 games, producing a consistent stretch over the last 14 with nine double-digit scoring performances. She is one of 30 players to have seven or more double-digit scoring games in Big 12 play this season. Before conference play began, the Portland native had just one career game with 10-plus points to her name, and has since tallied nine to her name along with her first career double-double (12 pts., 10 reb.) at Oklahoma State on Feb. 7. 

Mission Accomplished 
In the program's fourth annual Space Game, the 'Nauts upset Colorado 74-68 in Orlando, proving everything is better in space. Summer Yancy set a career-high with 25 points, six field goals and a game-leading five three pointers. Mahogany Chandler-Roberts produced her fifth game with 10 more points this season and her fourth in the last six Big 12 contests. The win was also in large part due to a season-best 25 points in the second quarter, outscoring the Buffs 25-10 behind a 20-2 run over a seven-minute stretch. 

SINGLE GAME AND SEASON TICKETS ON SALE

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.