STILLWATER, Oklahoma - Opposite one of the nation’s best teams from beyond the arc, UCF women’s basketball dropped its Saturday contest at Oklahoma State 81-58, despite a strong second-half display at the Gallagher-Iba Arena.
While the hosts downed eight threes in the first half, attaining a comfortable 20-plus-point cushion in the process, the Knights’ halftime adjustments saw them outscore the Cowgirls 38-34 in the second half behind.
Without two of UCF’s leading scorers, Leah Harmon and Khyala Ngodu, four Knights surpassed double digits to pick up the load, showcasing the squad’s depth at hand.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Another elite three-point shooting team gave the UCF defense plenty to handle during the opening minutes of the first quarter, all while the Knights’ offense struggled to find its footing. After nearly five minutes of action, Savannah Scott, making her second start in Black and Gold, broke the Cowgirls’ 7-0 scoring run with a nice finish at the rim.
Mahogany Chandler-Roberts downed a jumper to cut the deficit to six; however, the Big 12’s best squad from beyond the arc connected on three consecutive attempts to amass a 21-6 advantage on the Knights.
Six first-quarter turnovers from the visitors and a 6-8 clip from the three for Oklahoma State put UCF in a 24-6 hole, a deficit that would grow by nine during the second, as the Cowgirls pieced together a 15-6 stretch to end the half.
Eight first-half threes from the hosts, along with an efficient 53 percent clip from the field from one of the nation’s top offense forced the Knights into quick shots throughout the first 20 minutes.
Scott added four quick points out of the break, surpassing double-digits for the first time in Big 12 play in the process. The Knights’ attack picked up steam in the third quarter, outscoring the Cowgirls 22-17 behind seven points from Kristol Ayson and improved transition defense to limit the hosts to just one three-pointer in the period.
It was more of the same in the fourth, with the Black and Gold focusing on limiting the three while also sustaining consistent scoring in the paint. Despite the turnaround in the second half, the Cowgirls maintained a comfortable position throughout the contest, taking the fifth all-time matchup 81-58.
UP NEXT
The Knights will continue their two-game road swing on Wednesday at No. 20 West Virginia, with tipoff from the WVU Coliseum set for 7 p.m.