Hustle points: 2/16

Strong showing at Gator Invitational propels Knights in polls

 

   Placing fourth at the Gator Invitational helped elevate UCF's men's golf team from its No. 21 national ranking to No. 16 in the Golfstat NCAA Head-to-Head Rankings. The strong showing in Gainesville came in an event that showcased nine of the top 40 squads in the country. The Knights will look to build on that performance starting Sunday in Ponte Vedra Beach, where UCF will take part in the John Hayt Invitational.

 

Sykes named Player of the Week

 Sophomore guard Isaiah Sykes had quite the week last week, and people took notice.

   Sykes was named the Conference USA Player of the Week following a two-game stretch that saw the athletic wing player from Detroit average 21 points and 10 rebounds while shooting an impressive 72 percent from the field against Marshall and Southern Miss.

Sykes made 18-of-25 shots from the field during the week. In a loss to Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, Miss., Sykes scored a career-high 27 points, adding in 10 rebounds and three steals against the Golden Eagles.

    The sophomore guard also played a key role in a victory over Marshall, one that saw Sykes score 15 points, including a thunderous dunk as time ran down, sealing the deal for UCF.

 

Freeman does it again, named Athlete of the Week

 

UCF track and field's Octavious Freeman was named Conference USA's Female Track Athlete of the Week on Tuesday for a third time this season. With the accolade, Knights have now earned the award four of the five times it has been given out this spring.

Freeman improved her nation-best time to 7.19 in the semifinals of the 60 meters at the Tyson Invitational this past weekend. That same time ranks sixth among all Americans, both professional and amateur, this indoor season. Freeman's 23.56 performance in the 200 meters was good enough for the NCAA's 11th-best mark.

 

Spring season starts with 1-0 victory over Miami

 

   It was cold, it was windy and the Knights were victorious Saturday night, defeating Miami, 1-0, at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. UCF's lone goal came from junior forward Tishia Jewell. The Knights also received a strong performance from redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado, who played all 90 minutes during the shutout.

   "For the first spring game it was an intense, physical match," head coach Amanda Cromwell said in a release. "There was definitely some good soccer, and a lot of our players got to play."