FORT WORTH, Texas – No. RV UCF received a game challenge from seventh seed Cincinnati, but nothing ultimately could stop the Knights in a 53-43 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Air Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship on Tuesday night at Dickies Arena. No. 2 seed UCF qualified for its fifth straight trip to the semifinals and will face off with either No. 6 East Carolina or No. 3 Houston on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. (CT) in the second tournament semifinal on ESPN+.

 
Diamond Battles led the way for UCF (15-3) with 13 points, four assists, five steals and two blocks in the win. Alisha Lewis chipped in 12 points and three rebounds for the Knights, and Destiny Thomas finished with eight points and 11 boards. Caitlyn Wilson and IImar’I Thomas paced the Cincinnati (8-16) offense with 13 points apiece.
 
A fast start for UCF yielded baskets from Lewis and Destiny Thomas for a quick 5-0 lead for the Knights. Wilson stole the momentum right back with a 3-pointer with contact for the first Cincinnati points of the night (5-3). UCF hit four straight shots to extend the early advantage to 11-3 before Jillian Hayes notched a layup for Cincinnati (11-5) headed to the media timeout. Milan Schimmel finished off a coast-to-coast run down the floor for a late layup to pull the Bearcats within five at 16-11 after one quarter.
 
Lewis picked right up where she left off to start the second quarter, draining a trey to extend the UCF edge to 19-11. Cincinnati embarked on an extended run to pull within two at 21-19 following a Hayes up and in, and blocked shots by both teams highlighted subsequent defensive stands. An and-1 in transition by IImar’I Thomas vaulted Cincinnati in front at 22-21 with just over five minutes left in the period. The Knights chipped away on the offensive end and opened a lead at 25-22 following a Courtajia Sanders shot from in close. The nationally elite UCF defense held Cincinnati without a point for the final 5:03 of the first half and went to the locker room in front 28-22.
 
Cincinnati struck almost immediately to begin the third quarter on a contested layup banked home by Hayes (28-24). With the Bearcats within two Masseny Kaba cut to the hoop for a definitive bucket that pushed UCF up 30-26. Free throws from Battles and a layup from Lewis carried the Knights into the media timeout ahead 34-26. Thomas then found the first Cincinnati made field goal in over seven minutes to bring the Bearcats within five points (35-30). The teams traded points the remainder of the frame and UCF wound up on the right side of a 41-33 margin after 30 minutes.
 
A strip, scoop and score for Battles moved UCF back in front by 10 at 43-33 early in the fourth. Cincinnati was unable to consistently chip away from under a six-point deficit and UCF carried a 48-39 lead into the media timeout. The Knights defense fashioned another lengthy streak of keeping the Bearcats off the scoreboard, totaling more than three minutes, and maintained a 10-point lead (51-41).
 
All of the latest tournament information can be found at Championship Central throughout the week by visiting TheAmerican.org/wbb.
 
2021 Air Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship
March 8-11, 2021
Dickies Arena 
Fort Worth, Texas
 
First Round - Monday, March 8
No. 9 Wichita State 76, No. 8 Tulsa 64
No. 7 Cincinnati 78, No. 10 Memphis 67

Quarterfinals - Tuesday, March 9
No. 4 Tulane 83, No. 5 Temple 73
No. 1 USF 48, No. 9 Wichita State 44
No. 2 UCF 53, No. 7 Cincinnati 43
No. 6 East Carolina vs. No. 3 Houston - 10 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. CT (ESPN+)

Semifinals - Wednesday, March 10
No. 4 Tulane vs. No. 1 USF – 5:30 p.m. ET/ 4:30 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
No. 2 UCF vs. Game 6 winner - 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT (ESPN+)

Final - Thursday, March 11
Semifinal winners – 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT (ESPNU)