ORLANDO, Fla. – Opening their season on the road against a highly touted American Athletic Conference opponent, Winthrop held their own in the first half but ultimately lost to Central Florida 72-32 Monday night at Addition Financial Arena.
Winthrop (0-1) | Central Florida (1-0)
Nov. 7, 2022 | Addition Financial Arena
Central Florida 72, Winthrop 32
How it Happened
First Quarter | The Knights jumped out to an 8-0 lead to start the game before
Paige Powell scored Winthrop's first points of the 2022-23 campaign on a layup.
Jada Ryce got her first point of the season on a free throw a couple of possessions later to cut it to 11-3. A small scoring drought ensued for both teams following Ryce's free throw. UCF then added a three-pointer and a layup to make it 16-3 in favor of the home team at the end of the quarter.
Second Quarter | Ryce got the scoring started in the second stanza with a long range bomb to make it 16-6. But a 10-0 run by UCF made it 24-6 before Ryce made another free throw. After the Knights made a three-pointer, Winthrop showed some fight by going on a 12-6 run to cut the UCF lead to 33-18.
Tori Hall accounted for half of the Eagle points during the run. UCF then went on a 9-0 run to make it 42-18 Knights heading into intermission.
Third Quarter | UCF extended their lead by as much as 27 coming out of the locker room before two Powell free throws and a layup by
Leonor Paisana made it 45-22. The Knights then hit another three pointer while Powell hit another layup to make it 48-24. But that was Winthrop's last score of the period as the Eagles entered the final frame trailing 52-24.
Fourth Quarter | Trailing 58-24, the Eagles failed to score until there were less than seven minutes left in the game when
Shamyjha Price hit three free throws. This was part of a 10 minute scoring drought for Winthrop that dated back to less than seven minutes left in the third quarter. Hall eventually hit a layup with almost four minutes remaining to make it 63-29 UCF. Powell got Winthrop's final three points of the game on a layup and a free throw as the home standing Knights went on to win by 40 points, 72-32.
Statistical Standouts
- Winthrop was able to register 12 points off turnovers
- Winthrop scored 10 points in the paint
- Paige Powell (9 pts, 7 rebs)
- Tori Hall (10 pts, 8 rebs, 5 steals)
- Jada Ryce (5 pts, 3 assts)
Up Next
Winthrop will take on the Western Carolina Catamounts in Cullowhee, N.C. on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
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