Grovey Set School Records in 95-71 Win Over UCF

Saturday, February 13

Reynolds Center

2:00 pm

Tulsa

10-15, 7-7AAC

UCF

5-20, 2-12AAC

UCF

Tulsa

Grovey Set School Records in 95-71 Win Over UCF

2/13/2016 4:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Don Tomkalski

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Kelsee Grovey set two school records with a career-high 32 points in Tulsa's 95-71 victory over UCF Saturday afternoon in front of 273 fans at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.

Grovey entered the game needing nine three-point baskets to tie the school's all-time record for three-pointers made in a career. She bettered that record by one trey when she knocked down a personal-best and school single-game record 10 three-pointers. Her 10 three's today gives her 223 career three-pointers breaking the mark of 222 set by Kara Pongonis-Paslay (2002-06).

The previous single-game high for a Tulsa player was seven three-pointers, established three times before, but the latest in January 2002 by Carla Morrow.

"I am so excited for Kelsee. You have to feel a little pressure when you know you are chasing that record. When you can come out and hit your first three, that gives you confidence. She then hit her first three-of-four and that gave her even more confidence. I am just thrilled for her," said Tulsa Head Coach Matilda Mossman.

"We were running things specifically to get Kelsee the ball, but the big thing was that we executed as a team. It wasn't about Kelsee scoring 32, it was about the people around her that set screens, passed the ball and did a good job of executing," added Mossman.

Grovey was 3-of-3 from behind the arc in the first quarter, and finished the first half knocking down 5-of-7. She went 3-of-4 in the third period and through three quarters was 8-of-11. Grovey guided in her record-breaking 223rd trey at the 6:30 mark of the fourth quarter as she ended the game making 10-of-13 three-pointers and was 11-of-14 overall from the field.

The hot-shooting Hurricane finished the game by knocking down 52.5-percent of its shots from the field, 50-percent from three-point range and 90-percent from the free throw line. Tulsa's 95 points is the third-most in school history and the most since scoring 97 points against Langston University in January 2013.

Fellow senior Ashley Clark had her second straight double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while adding four assists and four steals in 31 minutes. Te'era Williams was one-point shy of tying her career-high with 13 points in 17 minutes today. UCF's Tolulope Omokore led the Knights with 18 points.

UCF scored the first points of the third quarter, but Tulsa's Grovey knocked down her sixth three-pointer of the game at the 8:49 mark to put the Hurricane ahead 52-36. Tulsa went on to score 18 more points in the third stanza, while UCF totaled 19 points for that 10-minute stretch.

The third period ended with Tulsa holding a 17-point lead at 70-53. Grovey set the single-game record in that quarter with her eighth trey at the 0:44 mark.

Tulsa, which led by double-digits the entire second half, had its largest lead of 27 points at 90-65 with 2:33 remaining in the game. The Hurricane outscored the Knights 25-18 in the final quarter for the 24-point victory.

Tulsa jumped out to a 10-4 lead within the first three minutes of the game, then went more than three minutes before scoring again when Erika Wakefield scored on a driving layup at the 3:30 mark putting Tulsa ahead 12-9.

With Wakefield's layup the Hurricane closed out the first quarter on a 20-5 run in the final 3:30 to take a 30-14 lead into the second period. Tulsa shot 62.5-percent from the field and 71.4-percent from three-point range in the first 10 minutes, while scoring 11 points off of UCF turnovers.

Clark scored 10 first-quarter points, while Grovey added nine, all coming on three-point baskets.

UCF came out in the second quarter and sliced its 16-point first quarter deficit to 10 points, 33-23, at the 5:59 mark. Tulsa kept its lead to double-digits throughout the second quarter, pushing it back to 15 points at the intermission for a 49-34 halftime lead.

Grovey had 15 points in the first half on 5-of-7 from three-point range, while Clark added 12 points and seven rebounds. Tulsa connected on 55-percent from the field, 54-percent from three-point range and 91-percent from the free throw line.

Tulsa goes on the road for two games next week, playing at SMU on Wednesday, Feb. 17, and Saturday, Feb. 20, at Tulane at 1:00 p.m. The Hurricane returns to the Reynolds Center for its home finale against No. 20-ranked USF on Feb. 24, with tip time scheduled for 7:00 p.m.