ORLANDO, Fla. — The UCF Holiday Tournament began on Friday afternoon, and Saint Mary's College took on the host Knights in the second game of the day. UCF certainly threw some looks towards the Gaels that they had not seen on the young season, and it showed as the Gaels fell 68-57 to the Knights. With the win, UCF improves to 6-4 while the Gaels fall to 4-6.
 
180s ALL AROUND
 
The ebbs and flows of this contest were prevalent from the very beginning, as each team controlled at least one entire quarter. It was the Knights who took control in the first quarter, where they held the Gaels to just nine points. In the second quarter, the Gaels caught fire, lighting up the scoreboard for 21 points while holding the Knights to just nine points. It flipped yet again in the third, when the Gaels managed just nine points and UCF put up a game-best 24 points.
 
MAS TREYS
 
A staple of the offense all season has been three-point shooting for Saint Mary's, entering the weekend ranked in the top-ten in the country in three-pointers made. They put home 12 three-pointers in the contest, including three from Taycee Wedin, and two apiece from Madeline Holland, Sam Simons, and Emily Codding. Of the 53 shots taken on the afternoon, 32 were from distance.
 
STEALING THE SECOND
 
Entering the second quarter with a nine-point deficit, the Gaels were able to hold the Knights scoreless for the first 5:19 of the second quarter, trimming their deficit to just four points. Saint Mary's took its first lead of the contest when Wedin hit her third three-pointer of the first half with 2:35 left to put the Gaels up 24-23. Holland hit the final three-pointer of the half with 42 seconds left to put the Gaels ahead 30-27, which was their advantage when the intermission reached.
 
SHOOTING TWO…
 
…for the entire game? In a statistical oddity, the Gaels were only able to get to the free throw line twice in Friday's loss, with both free throws coming with seven seconds remaining in the entire game. Mia Grizelj was the beneficiary of the trip to the charity stripe. It represents the fewest free throws made in a game since the Gaels made only two on November 24, 2018 against Oregon.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Gaels will remain at Addition Financial Arena for the second day of the 2019 UCF Holiday Tournament when they take on St. Bonaventure. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 am PST. The contest also serves as the final non-conference game of the year for the Gaels, who begin West Coast Conference play when they return to the Bay Area.

#GaelsRise – For ticket information to all home basketball games, call the SMC Ticket Office today at 925-631-4689 or click the ticket link here to purchase your seats now.