Wednesday, February 8
East Carolina 67, Temple 52 – Box Score
UCF 60, Cincinnati 57 – Box Score
 
Recaps
East Carolina 67, Temple 52 – Box Score
GREENVILLE – The East Carolina women's basketball team used a 17-0 run to open the fourth quarter to blow past the Temple Owls, 67-52, Wednesday evening in Minges Coliseum. Amiya Joyner had another phenomenal game to lead the Pirates with 23 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, including a purely dominant performance in the fourth quarter.
 
The prohibitive favorite in the race for American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, Joyner's raw talent was on full display as she racked up her ninth double-double of the season – the most ever by an ECU freshman. The Farmville native compiled nine points and six boards in the fourth quarter alone, including an electric and-one finish with 5:07 to play in the game which capped that remarkable 17-0 run to open the quarter. Brittany Garner was assessed a technical foul in the aftermath of the play and the Pirates (16-8, 7-4 The American) were ahead for good.
 
It wasn't a sure thing that the Pirates would take the victory, though. Temple (10-13, 5-6 The American) came into the game playing their best basketball of the year and led by three after the third quarter thanks to some electric play from Garner and Aleah Nelson. Temple put up 23 points in that third period to run out to the lead but the smothering ECU defense – under whom a fire had been lit in the quarter break by coach Kim McNeill – held the Owls to a mere seven points in the fourth.
 
Leading that charge as she almost always does was Danae McNeal. McNeal finished with 17 points and a trio of steals on the day. The three steals are misleading, however; the senior seemed to get a hand on every pass which came her way in the fourth quarter and proved once again her defensive prowess against any unwitting opponent who deign to challenge her. For rare viewers of East Carolina women's basketball may this game serve as a microcosm of McNeal's candidacy for AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
 
It would be easy to think that Joyner and McNeal went it alone with those statistics, but they did not. Synia Johnson scored nine points with six boards; Micah Dennis added four points, seven rebounds and three assists; and Morgan Moseley added eight points, five rebounds and three steals of her own.
 
As a team, the Pirates turned the Owls over 16 times with 12 steals and 15 points off turnovers. The home team also racked up 40 points in the paint.
 
UCF 60, Cincinnati 57 – Box Score
CINCINNATI - UCF overcame an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to pull away with a 60-57 victory over Cincinnati on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Arena. The Knights (11-10, 2-7 The American) shot a season-high 50% from behind the arc (5-10) and limited the Bearcats (8-15, 1-9 The American) to 16% from the three-point line.

The Bearcats won the tip and executed by scoring the first basket of the game. Rachel Ranke led the Knights off with a three to put them on the board. The Bearcats went on a 6-0 run to take the lead 8-3. The Knights fought back with free throws to close the gap to one, 11-10. Cincinnati continued to score going 4-4 from the free throw line to give them a five-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
Laila Jewett led the second quarter off with a jumper, the Bearcats answered back with a driving layup. The Black and Gold capitalized on turnovers from Cincinnati to go on a 4-0 spurt and shorten the Bearcats lead to three. Cincinnati fired back with another 5-0 scoring run, UCF answered back to head into the locker room with a three-point deficit, 28-25.
 
Kiera Brown came out on fire in the third quarter scoring four points (two free throws and one layup) in just one minute of play. The Bearcats fought back to take the lead to eight. UCF cut the lead down to one with just over one minute remaining in the third. Cincinnati quickly answered back with a three point just before the buzzer.
 
The Bearcats started out on a scoring frenzy to take the lead back up to eight, but the Knights answered back with a 12-2 run ignited by Sierra Godbolt going 2-2 at the free-throw line and kept the Bearcats in a scoring drought for four minutes. Rachel Ranke made a second chance three to knot it up 51-51 followed by going 2-2 at the free throw line to give the Knights a two-point advantage for the first time in game. The Bearcats followed up with a 4-0 run to try and come back but Laila Jewett and Destiny Thomas each made a free throw to give the Knights a three-point lead with four seconds remaining. With one second left, Cincinnati tried to tie it up but the Knights came out with a 60-57 triumph.
 
Ranke led with 16 points going 4-6 from the arc and 4-4 from the charity stripe, while Thomas added 11 points. Sierra Godbolt and Jewett each recorded 10 points and two rebounds.