Attendance: 2,806

UCF Women’s Basketball hosted Cincinnati this afternoon at Addition Financial Arena. The Lady Knights looked to avenge their only American Conference loss and clinch the regular season AAC Championship.

UCF, as always, looked loose in pregame but differently very focused. During pregame, their usual playfulness, dancing & singing was still present. However, a different level of focus on their shooting and team communication was evident and it carried into their game execution.

The Lady Knights were dominate from the moment the game tipped off. UCF put in a championship caliber first quarter on both ends of the court, shooting 13 of 21 from the field and 3 of 3 from the arc for a total of 33 points. Defensively they held Cincinnati to a mere 6 points(3/12 2-pt & 0/4 3-pt).

The second quarter scoring assault slowed significantly for UCF(3/15 2-pt & 0-4 3-pt) but their defensive efforts remained intact. Their tenacity further stifled the Lady Bearcat’s shooting to only 2 made shots from the field in 11 attempts and 0 of 4 again from the arc. Cincinnati was at risk of a single digit first half all way until the 1:52 mark when Caitlyn Wilson hit a jumper to finally get to her team into double digits. UCF control the first half 42-11.

The second half started with UCF looking tight, flat, and not nearly as fluid offensively and it reflected in the turnover column. Cincinnati on their other hand looked more crisp and energetic throughout the majority of the third quarter. With the Lady Bearcats slowly clawing into their significant deficit, Knights Head Coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, made several rotation adjustments and changes to find a mix to get her team back in a rhythm. With Cincinnati having a 14-8 scoring advantage at the 1:05 mark, UCF finally seemed to find themselves and added 5 points in the remaining minute and close out the third quarter with a 57- 28 lead.

UCF carried the momentum into the fourth quarter and controlled the remainder of the game. The Lady Knight cruised to a 74-39 win and clinching the regular season American Conference Championship. It is the programs first conference championship since 2005 when they won the ASUN Conference regular season and the first ever in the AAC.

Whats next:  UCF improves to 21-3 overall 13-1 AAC & will host Tulsa(15-8 overall 5-7 AAC) on Wednesday, March 2 at 6pm at Addition Financial Arena for their last home game of the season on Senior Night. Cincinnati ends their regular season 11-16 overall 4-11 AAC & will await the results of the final regular season games to determine their opponent in the American Conference tournament. The AAC Tournament will take place March 7-10, 2022 at Dickies Arena in Ft. Worth, Texas.

STATS

UCF: 74pts, 47.5% 2-PT, 5/10 50.0% 3-PT, 13/18 FT, 43rebs, 16 assists, 20 TO, 12 steals 

CIN: 39pts, 30.2% 2-PT, 2/16 12.5% 3-PT, 5/10 FT, 29rebs, 9 assists, 22 TO, 13 steals

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

UCF: D. Thomas 16pts 12rebs B. Smith 16pts 7rebs, D. Battles 12pts, Sanders 10pts, A. Lewis 7pts, 5rebs 5assists

CIN: C. Wilson 9pts

Photo credit: Sean Russell/FAAZ Sports