For the first time since 2011, the University of Central Florida Women’s Basketball team entered postseason play.
And, for the first time in UCF history, the women’s basketball team has not only been invited to the National Invitation Tournament but has passed round one.
On Thursday night in CFE Arena, the Knights (21-11) played Central Florida neighbor Stetson University (26-6) in their first tournament in six years. The outcome of the home contest would be 73-53 in favor of your UCF Knights after the Black and Gold led from the first quarter onward.
Stetson entered the game with the second-highest single-season win total in school history. Even with the loss, the Hatters will have completed one of their greatest performing seasons yet.
Head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson is no stranger to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. In 2005, Abrahamson-Henderson won the WNIT as head coach at Missouri State University. The season debut for the coach provided UCF with more wins in one season than in the collective four seasons prior, when the Knights amounted 19 wins total.
The War on I-4 proved no challenge Abrahamson-Henderson, defeating the then-No. 22 USF Bulls in Tampa 66-62 – the first win against a ranked opponent in program history. UCF later advanced in the American Athletic Conference Championship Quarterfinals with a victory over Tulane 61-57. The Knights would fall to No. 1 UConn, the eventual conference champions.
The victories from the women’s and the men’s teams mark the first time in school history that both have competed in the NIT in the same year.
UCF will play Georgia Tech (18-14) in Atlanta on Sunday, March 19 at 5 p.m. EST.
Stay tuned for a postgame recap. Photo courtesy of UCF Athletics Communications.
