UCF women fall to Cincy
Knights drop first conference game
The UCF women’s basketball team dropped its first American Athletic Conference game of the season Saturday, falling 61-57 on the road to Cincinnati.
Senior guard Diamond Battles led the way with 21 points while junior guard Alisha Lewis added 16 and 6 rebounds. Outside of those two, however, no other Knight scored more than 6 points.
Meanwhile, 4 different Bearcats finished in double digits as junior guard Caitlyn Wilson scored a team-high 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc.
A 3-pointer from Lewis with 1:24 left in the fourth quarter gave UCF a 57-55 lead. Cincinnati’s Jillian Hayes sank a free throw as the final minute approached to pull the Bearcats within one.
Tay Sanders drove the ball into the paint looking to extend UCF’s lead but Jadyn Scott had other plans. The junior forward blocked Sanders’ shot and the Bearcats pushed the ball down the court.
Cincinnati point guard Akira Levy, who shot 3-of-4 from 3-point range, nailed a shot from beyond the arc with 11 seconds on the clock, giving the Bearcats a 59-57 lead.
UCF had to foul after Battles turned the ball over and free throws from Jillian Hayes, who made 5-of-6 from the line, iced the game in favor of the Bearcats.
The 4-point loss on the road snapped a 4-game winning streak for the Knights (12-3, 4-1), who fell into a three-way tie with SMU and South Florida atop the AAC standings.
One key difference between the Bearcats and the Knights was Cincinnati’s ability to get to the free-throw line. The team finished 9-of-11 from the line while UCF shot only one free throw all afternoon, missing it as well.
UCF returns to the court on Wednesday vs. Tulane, a team the Knights beat on the road 54-47 on Jan. 5. Tipoff at Addition Financial Arena between the Knights and the Green Wave is set for 6 p.m.