Ashton Verhulst had fun during the season opener against Winthrop.
UCF women’s basketball dominated Winthrop again in their regular season opener, routing the Eagles 72-32. Asia Todd was out due to injury, so Rachel Ranke, a Kansas State transfer, started at guard along with Mya Burns, a former Georgia Southern guard. Laila Jewitt and Destiny Thomas, both veterans, started the contest in addition to Bryana Hardy, a true freshman. It was appropriate that true freshman Bryana Hardy had a big game with her new coach, Sytia Messer, winning her first game.
Hardy made a big impact early in the contest, scoring 14 points in the half as the first player to reach double digits. Given that Messer exhibited a veteran presence in the exhibition, Hardy’s big contributions early were particularly important, as forward Nay Hutton was still sidelined with a leg injury.
UCF supporters were shocked by something other than the newcomer’s presence. The team finished 11-for-30 from three-point range, spearheaded by freshman Tiani Abrams, who scored 12 points, seven of which came from downtown. Returning forward Ashton Verhulst also chipped in 11 points, shooting 3-for-5 from downtown. Abrams grabbed five boards and went 3-for-5 from downtown.
It is remarkable in itself that this team has made 11 three-pointers, but as a team, it might take until 2022-23 to see the vintage team shoot the ball from afar 30 times. This team’s destiny is still rebounding strong.
A bit more work to do.
When asked what UCF must improve before facing Mercer on Thursday, coach Messer replied instantly—“turnovers”. Tonight, UCF committed 26 turnovers, three more than against Saint Leo.
The free throws issue will be another focus point. The Knights went 7-for-12 from the line. The downside of chucking it from the cheap seats as Messer’s team appears ready to do so far is that they make fewer visits to the line. This means that when those opportunities arise, it’s even more critical to make them. However, Messer gave her squad credit for how many points they scored despite those issues.
The Knights’ free-throw percentage was one of the areas where focus will be put forth. It is a shame that the squad seems eager to shoot from the cheap seats, as that would reduce their trips to the free-throw line. However, when those opportunities present themselves, it is crucial that they are capitalized on. Furthermore, Messer commended her squad for how many points they scored despite the shortcomings.
I think this UCF Women’s Basketball looks great overall and can’t wait to see what they do this season. Go Knights!
