Champ Central
 
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Tied at 43-43 in the fourth quarter, No. 2 seed UCF used a 16-2 run on the way to punching a ticket to its third-straight American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball semifinals with a 66-54 win over No. 7 seed Tulsa Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Knights shot 57 percent in the win, including a 77 percent (10-13) showing from the field in the fourth quarter.
 


UCF will take on the winner of Saturday’s last quarterfinal game between No. 11 seed Memphis and No. 3 seed Cincinnati in the semifinals Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
 
The scoring was spread for the Knights with 10 different players recording at least one field goal. Kay Kay Wright led UCF with 20 points (9-18). Sydnee McDonald also shot 50 percent (4-8) and reached double figures in scoring with 10 points. Points in the paint were in favor of UCF (38-26), while the Knights got 25 points from its bench.
 
Tough defense defined the first quarter, as both teams stayed locked at 8-8 with a combined 16 turnovers through five minutes of the opening frame. With 30 seconds left, Masseny Kaba got to the rim to put the Knights in front, 10-8.
 
UCF used a 13-4 run over the first five minutes of the second quarter to move out to a 23-11 advantage. Tulsa answered with a 9-0 run, capped by five points from Alexis Gaulden to close in on two points (23-21). UCF matched the Golden Hurricane’s spurt after scoring four-straight field goals, including three from Kayla Thigpen. The Knights shot 56 percent in the first half and pulled away with a 32-21 lead at the break. UCF led 20-12 in first-half rebounds.
 
UCF led by at least eight points up until the 2:26 mark of the third quarter when Tulsa’s Crystal Polk made a layup to spark an 11-1 surge that cut the lead to one point (41-40). Wright got to the rim with 15 seconds left on the clock to give the Knights a three-point cushion. However, Tulsa’s Desiree Lewis drove through the lane to pick up a layup, drawing a foul and completed a three-point play to knot the game at 43-43 to enter the final frame. Tulsa outscored UCF 22-11 in the third quarter.
 
Both sides exchanged baskets to start the fourth quarter before the Knights pulled ahead for good using a 16-2 rally over a six-minute span, including six points from Wright. The Knights made seven of their last nine field goals and forced five turnovers through a seven-minute window in the fourth quarter.
 
Fans can watch the entire tournament on ESPN platforms, including ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPN2.
 
For more information on and continuing coverage of the American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship, please visit Championship Central at www.theamerican.org/wbb.