Knights Fall in the Possible Final Women’s Basketball Edition of the War on I-4

Feb 20, 2023 - 3:54 PM

In what could be the final edition of the War on I-4 for women’s basketball, the UCF Knights (11-12) fell to the USF Bulls (23-5), 73-44.

Not much can be said about this game, as the Knights were dominated in nearly every statistical category. Let’s take a look at the major facts that led to tonight’s outcome:

A Tale of Two Shooters

The Bulls were able to put the ball in the basket way more than the Knights. The Knights made 13-out-of-58 shots, while the Bulls made 29-of-61. The Bulls were also 39.1% on three-point attempts, while the Knights went 27.3%.

The Bulls had three players with double-digit points, Elena Tsineke with 19, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu with 18 and Sammie Puisis with 12, while the Knights’ highest score was Kiera Brown with 8.

“We’ve got to execute better,” UCF Head Coach Sytia Messer said. “We’ve got to sprint to our spots, make good, strong passes and be more consistent. I think if we get easy transition baskets that loosen up the offense a little bit. And we didn’t get that tonight. And those are things that are on us.”

A Rough Second Quarter

The Bulls were able to put the game out of reach in the second quarter. This is because of what was discussed in the previous passage, they were able to put the ball in the basket way more than the Knights. The Bulls scored 21 points in the quarter, while the Knights only scored 6. The Bulls at one point went on a 21-3 run, a run which started in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Knights went 1-for-12 on field goals and 1-for-4 on three-point attempts.

Ultimately, the second quarter put the Knights in a hole they could never get out of.

Other Statistical Struggles

The Knights were out-rebounded and had fewer assists than the Bulls. The Bulls recorded 47 rebounds and 17 assists while the Knights had 33 rebounds and four assists.

The only positive stat for the Knights was that the game’s attendance of 3,354 was the biggest home crowd the team has played in front of all of the season

What’s Next

The Knights are now 2-9 in conference play and second-to-last place in the conference.

The team will be back in action next Tuesday at Addition financial Arena, where they will take on the Temple Owls.