Tulsa Women’s Basketball vs. UCF Preview

Saturday, February 11 ~ 1:00 pm Central ~ Donald W. Reynolds Center ~ Tulsa, Okla.

Coaching Barefoot
        The Tulsa coaching staff will be barefoot in the Tulsa-UCF game to help bring recognition to Samaritan's Feet, an organization that is helping to create a world with zero shoeless children. The Golden Hurricane worked with Samaritan's Feet on their trip to the Dominican Republic, handing out over 250 pairs of shoes to children in the DR. For more information on the organization, visit SamaritansFeet.org.

Samaritan's Feet Video
Donate to Samaritan's Feet

Tickets: Single game tickets are $5 general admission and season passes are $50. Tickets can be purchased ONLINE, at the Reynolds Center ticket office or by calling 918.631.GoTU (4688).

Game Notes: Tulsa

Radio: TU's regular season games can be heard on CHROME 93.5 FM and KWTU 88.7 FM HD2, as well as online on TulsaHurricane.com. Brandon Hart calls play-by-play.

Live Audio: Listen Here

Video: Watch Live on the American Digital Network

Live Stats: Click Here

Rosters: Tulsa ~ UCF

2016-17 Season Stats: Tulsa ~ UCF

Tulsa Facebook: TulsaHurricane ~ TulsaWBasketball

UCF Facebook: UCF WBB

Tulsa Twitter: TulsaHurricane ~ TUWBasketball

UCF Twitter: UCF WBB

Tulsa Instagram: TulsaHurricanePics ~ TulsaWBB

UCF Instagram: UCF WBB

The Coaches
Tulsa: Matilda Mossman (Western Kentucky, 1979), 6th Year
Career Record: 227-190 (14 years)
Record at Tulsa: 80-97 (6 years)

UCF: Katie Abrahamson-Henderson (Iowa, 1990), 1st Year
Record: 243-111 (12 years)
Record at UCF: 14-9

Tulsa's Probable Starters
F     00     Kendrian Elliott, 6-2, Fr-HS, Wichita, Kan., 9.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg
G     3       Erika Wakefield, 5-4, Jr-2L, Moore, Okla., 11.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.3 apg
G     11     Ebony Parker, 5-8, Jr-TR, Houston, Texas, 7.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg
G     12     Shug Dickson, 5-9, Fr-HS, St. Louis, Mo., 9.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg
F     35     Liesl Spoerl, 6-1, Jr-2L, Tulsa, Okla., 5.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg

UCF's Probable Starters
G     4       Ashley Polacek, 5-5, So, Ottawa, Canada, 0.5 ppg, 0.8 rpg
F     21     Joslyn Massey, 6-0, Sr, Detroit, Mich., 6.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.0 spg
G     22     Aliyah Gregory, 5-10, Jr, Tampa, Fla., 15.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 spg
G     23     Zykira Lewis, 5-8, Sr, Barow, Fla., 16.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.1 spg, 2.1 apg
F     25     Tolulope Omokore, 5-11, So, Greenbelt, Md., 7.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg

Coaching Barefoot
        The Tulsa coaching staff will be barefoot in the Tulsa-UCF game to help bring recognition to Samaritan's Feet, an organization that is helping to create a world with zero shoeless children. The Golden Hurricane worked with Samaritan's Feet on their trip to the Dominican Republic, handing out over 250 pairs of shoes to children in the DR. For more information on the organization, visit SamaritansFeet.org.

In the Last Game
        The Tulsa women's basketball team struggled to shoot the ball as Temple claimed a 70-43 win on Wednesday afternoon at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
        Erika Wakefield had a team-leading 11 points, while Tatyana Perez added nine and Kendrian Elliott posted seven points. Elliott pulled down 10 rebounds and had one block, and Wakefield and Shug Dickson both had two assists.
        Tulsa shot just 22-percent from the field, including 30-percent from three-point range, and 60-percent (9-of-15) from the free throw line.

Scouting the Opponent
        UCF has a 14-9 overall record, including a 4-6 mark in American Athletic Conference play and a 6-4 record on the road. The Knights are led by Zykira Lewis and Aliyah Gregory with 16.1 and 15.2 points per game, respectively. Joslyn Massey has a team-best 7.2 rebounds per game, Lewis has 72 steals and Korneila Wright has 90 assists.

Against the Opponent
        This will be the 15th meeting between Tulsa and UCF, as series is tied, 7-7. The Golden Hurricane earned a 73-62 win earlier this season in Orlando.

In the Nation
        Tulsa ranks 58th in the nation in three-point field goals made (168), 65th in three-point field goal attempts (502), 78th in three-point field goals per game (7.0), 94th in three-point field goal percentage (.335) and 95th in free-throw percentage (71.9).
        Ebony Parker is 145th in three-point field goal percentage (34.1), 148th in three-point field goals attempted (135) and 175th in three-point field goals per game (2.0); Erika Wakefield is 179th in free throw percentage (76.9) and 226th in assists per game (3.4); and Kendrian Elliott ranks 165th in rebounds per game (7.6).

Stepping Up
        Nine of Tulsa's 13 players have scored in double figures this season. Erika Wakefield has scored in double figures 16 times, while Shug Dickson has nine double-digit contests. Tatyana Perez has eight double-digit games, Kendrian Elliott has seven and Ebony Parker has six. Alexis Gaulden and Liesl Spoerl both have five double-figure contests, while Crystal Polk and Jessica Pongonis both have two double-figure games.

20+ Scorers
        Kendrian Elliott had a team-leading and personal-best 27 points against East Carolina, while Erika Wakefield had a career-high 25 points at Houston (1-1-17), and Alexis Gaulden tallied a career-high 23 points against Saint Louis (12-15-16). Shug Dickson tallied 22 points at UCF (1-21-17), 21 points against Temple (1-14-17) and #1 UConn (1-17-17), and 20 against SMU (1-28-17) and East Carolina (1-31-17). Wakefield posted 21 points at UMKC (11-11-16), Ebony Parker had 20 points at #19/20 Oklahoma (12-11-16) and Elliott had 20 points against Arkansas State (12-6-16).

Dickson's Scoring Streak
        Shug Dickson was the first freshman in school history (dating back to the 1996-97 season) to score 20+ points in three-straight games. She became the sixth player overall to reach this feat (Taleya Mayberry, Larrissa Williams, Jillian Robbins, Allison Curtin and Lila Osceola did it before her.) and it is the 15th time that someone has scored 20+ points three or more times in a row.
        Dickson now has five 20+ point games this season.

The Losses that Could Have Been Wins
        In Tulsa's 16 losses this season, the Golden Hurricane has lost nine of those by single digits, including six games by two or less baskets. Tulsa fell to Arkansas State and South Dakota by 3 each, Indiana State by 4, Tulane, Houston and Little Rock by 5 each, Arkansas by 7, Oral Roberts by 8, and Temple by 9.
        TU also had a double-digit lead over three of the opponents, before falling in the contests [15-point lead over Little Rock (lost by five), a 14-point lead over Indiana State (lost by four) and a 13-point lead over Arkansas State (lost by 3)].

Shooting the Ball
        Kendrian Elliott has a team-high .480 field goal percentage. Jessica Pongonis is TU's next best shooter with 44.7-percent, followed by Crystal Polk at 43.2-percent, Erika Wakefield at 40.1 percent and Liesl Spoerl at 40.0-percent.

Behind the Arc
        Eight of Tulsa players have combined for 168 three-pointers this season, for a 7.0 three-pointers per game average. TU's opponents have hit 124 three's for 5.2 per game.
        Ebony Parker has a team-best 46 trey's, Alexis Gaulden has hit 32, Tatyana Perez has 31, Shug Dickson has 22 and Addison Richards has 11. Liesl Spoerl and Ashley Hughes both have nine trey's this season.

Freshmen Making Marks
        Two Tulsa freshmen have already earned a spot on the Tulsa Freshman Single-Season Records list. Addison Richards is currently first in three-point field goal percentage (.458) and Kendrian Elliott is second in blocks (19) and fourth in field goal percentage (.480).

In Tulsa's Top 10
        Ashley Hughes is second in free throw percentage in school history with a .871 clip (34 of 39).

Making Assists
        Junior Erika Wakefield ranks in the top-10 on Tulsa's Career Chart for assists. She currently has 234 assists for 10th place and needs eight more to tie Tatum Beer (2007-11) who has the No. 9 slot with 242.

Mossman Has 227 Career Wins
        Matilda Mossman has collected 227 career victories, including 67 wins at Arkansas, 80 wins at Kansas State and currently 80 wins at TU.

Parker for Three
        Tulsa junior-transfer Ebony Parker knocked down an NJCAA Division I record 144 three-point shots last season. In comparison, then TU senior Kelsee Grovey had a team-best 68 three's last season and 233 in her career. The most in a single season at Tulsa was 77 by Athena Pirpich (2000-01), while Grovey's 233 career three's is a school best.

Returning Starters
        Tulsa returns two starters from last season, including junior Erika Wakefield and sophomore Tyjae' Scales. Wakefield averaged 8.7 points, 3.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game, while Scales posted 2.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game a year ago.

Hurricane Picked Ninth in The American Preseason Coaches' Poll
        In the American Athletic Conference coaches' poll, UConn was predicted to win the 2016-17 American Athletic Conference Championship, while Temple was second and USF third. Tulane, SMU, East Carolina, Memphis, UCF, Tulsa, Cincinnati and Houston round out the poll.

UConn to Host American Championship
        UConn will host the 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., from March 3-6.

13 Opponents in 2016 Postseason
        Thirteen of Tulsa's opponents played in the postseason in 2015-16, including NCAA teams BYU, Kansas State, Oklahoma, UConn and USF; WNIT teams Arkansas State, Little Rock, Memphis, Saint Louis, South Dakota, Temple and Tulane; and WBI participant New Mexico.

Tulsa in Postseason
        Tulsa has made five postseason appearances, including WNIT bids in 2004, 2005 and 2015, and NCAA bids in 2006 and 2013. TU lost in the first round in 2004 (Memphis), 2005 (Texas A&M) and 2013 (Stanford), but went 1-1 (W, North Carolina State; L, DePaul) in 2006 and 2015 (W, Missouri State; L, Eastern Michigan), for a 2-5 overall mark in postseason play.

A Hurricane in Tulsa?
        The Origination of The University of Tulsa nickname - Golden Hurricane - was created in 1922. A new football coach, Howard Archer came to town and inherited a slew of nicknames dating back to 1895. In the past, Tulsa had been named "Kendallites," "Presbyterians," "Tigers," "Orange and Black," "Tulsans," and of course, "Yellow Jackets." The team started working out in the fall with a new nickname "Yellow Jackets" which was apparently due to the fact that the team was wearing new black and yellow uniforms. The team opened the season and it was apparent that Tulsa was going to have a great year, and trying to seize some publicity for his team, Archer wanted to find a new nickname quickly. After a remark was made in practice one day about "roaring through opponents," and because of their new jersey colors, he thought of "Golden Tornadoes." But a check showed that Georgia Tech already had chosen that tag in 1917. From the tornado, he evolved meteorologically to the hurricane. A few days before the team left for a game against Texas A&M, Archer asked the squad to vote on the name, and thus "Golden Hurricane" was born.

Tulsa Women’s Basketball vs. UCF Preview

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Players Mentioned

Shug Dickson

Kendrian Elliott

Alexis Gaulden

Kelsee Grovey

Ashley Hughes

Ebony Parker

Tatyana Perez

Crystal Polk

Jessica Pongonis

Addison Richards

Tyjae' Scales

Liesl Spoerl

Erika Wakefield