ORLANDO - Despite a late second-half surge, the UCF women’s basketball team dropped its Wednesday tilt against Utah, 67-57, from Addition Financial Arena.
While three Knights surpassed double digits, one of the Big 12’s best three-point shooting units downed seven in the second half to leave any chance of a Black and Gold comeback too far out of reach.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was the Chandler-Roberts show during the first quarter, as the Knight scored the first eight points for UCF, connecting on a pair of layups, her fourth three-pointer of the season, and a free throw to put the Black and Gold up three early on.
Kristol Ayson added a fast break finish at the rim to combat a late surge from the Utes in the opening 10 minutes, who took an 11-10 lead into the break.
Savannah Scott checked in to commence the second quarter and immediately made an impact, grabbing an offensive rebound before converting the second-chance layup to put UCF into the lead. Both sides went back-and-forth over the next two minutes, exchanging layups before the visitors went on a 9-2 run to take a 24-17 lead before the media timeout.
The latter six points from the third-best three-point shooting team in the Big 12 came from beyond the arc, spacing the ball to cause the Knights’ defense some issues.
A 0-8 shooting clip from UCF gave the Utes ample time to grow their lead to eight. Five consecutive points from Ayson pulled the Knights back within three. However, the visitors capitalized on a second-chance opportunity and a UCF turnover to secure a 29-22 advantage at halftime.
Out of the half, both squads went back-and-forth from the field, though Utah’s prowess from beyond the arc proved crucial, widening its lead to 12 after the third quarter. The Knights consistently got to the charity stripe in the final two minutes, though couldn’t combat the Utes’ red-hot spree from three.
Needing a vibrant start to the final 10 minutes, the Black and Gold went on a 9-3 run to begin the fourth quarter, cutting the lead down to four in the process on a Summer Yancy three-pointer.
After Yancy added her 11th and 12th points of the second half, the visitors took back control of the contest in large part to consecutive three-pointers and composed free throws, eventually pulling
UP NEXT
The Knights will embark on a two-game road trip over the next week, first venturing to Stillwater for a Saturday night tilt with Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. EST.
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.