Women’s hoops set to host Rice

After a solid 65-47 win over the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (6-11, 0-4) on Sunday, the UCF Knights (7-9, 2-2) will look to carry the momentum from that victory into tonight's game against the Rice Owls (8-9, 2-2).

The buzz

Rice is coming off of a 69-42 beatdown from Tulsa. The Owls will be looking to right the ship when they visit the UCF Arena for a Conference USA face-off.

Having a 3-6 record on the road, the Owls will have to bring superior defense in order to contain the offensive prowess of Aisha Patrick and Gevenia Carter, who scored a combined 42 points in Sunday's victory.

Coach Joi Williams stressed the importance of ball movement and making the extra pass. Once the Knights got into a rhythm, their team play earned them a comfortable victory.

A month removed from her return to the court after recovering from a torn ACL, forward Sarah Green was the defensive difference in the game with two blocks, two steals and a rebound in her 13 minutes.

Who to watch

Rice's senior forward Brianna Hypolite is capable of an efficient, high-scoring output. Last year, she was second on the team in 3-pointers made, and she scored 25 points in a victory over Tulane earlier this month.

For UCF, Patrick is proving to be the anchor on both ends of the floor. She's a distributor (seven assists on Sunday) and a smooth shooter, and she has a great ability to find the defensive rebound despite being a guard. When Patrick and fellow guard Carter are on their game, the Knights are a hard team to beat.

Looking ahead

This is the second of two home games before UCF heads to Huntington, W.Va. to take on Marshall (12-5, 3-1) on Sunday. The next few games will prove pivotal if the Knights are to position themselves to make a run at a second consecutive C-USA Championship.