HOLIDAY RALLY
One of the most popular events on the Central Florida Soap Box Derby calendar, especially with out of state competitors, is coming up in December as Mike Kirby Park will close out 2025 when The City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department and CFSBD hosts the 2-Day Holiday Rally on Saturday, December 27, and Sunday, December 28.
The entry fee, if registration and fee is received before Tuesday, December 2, is $90 for one entry and $165 for two-or-more siblings for both days.
After December 2, is $115 for one entry or $200 total for a family of two or more drivers.
The final day to enter and pay in full is Tuesday, December 16. No onsite registration.
Kirby Park will be open on Friday, December 26, from 10 a.m.-to-2 p.m. for trailer drop-off.
RV’s are welcome, but you MUST make prior arrangements with the Rally Director.
Each Day, check in will be at 7 a.m., with racing beginning at 8:30 a.m., and will consist of a Double Elimination race for each class in the morning, followed by a lunch break and a Single Elimination race for each class in the afternoon.
Soap Box Derby racing is open to children ages 7 to 20 _ Stock, 7-to-13; Super Stock, 9-to-18; Masters, 10-to-20 _ with a limited number of loaner cars available for new participants.
Everyone, especially interested non-racers, is invited to attend any of the family friendly events, free of charge, at beautiful Mike Kirby Park located on the west side of Sanford on Oregon Avenue, north off of CR-46A (25th Street/H. E. Thomas Parkway) or east off of Rinehart Road, just south of the GreeneWay entry. The track is East of Bentley Elementary School.
For more information on Central Florida Soap Box Derby or to download a registration form, please check out the websites at www.AASBD.com or [email protected]; Eric Griffin, [email protected], 407-353-6228, or call the City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department at 407-688-5120. More information is also available at _ https://www.facebook.com/CentralFloridaSoapboxDerby/ _ especially photos and flyers.
UCF MEN’S SOCCER WINS SUN BELT TITLE
The UCF men’s soccer team won the 2025 Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Tournament Championship match in Huntington, West Virginia, besting third-seeded and No. 12 Marshall, 3-1, and an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
The Knights, after knocking off fourth-seeded Georgia Southern and top-seeded No. 19 Kentucky in consecutive quarter- and semifinal matches in Lexington, Kentucky, entered the 2025 NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, boasting an 8-1-2 record in its last 11 matches.
UCF’s first goal in four matches against the Herd came courtesy of a highlight-reel right-footed strike from outside the 18-yard box by senior defender Frederic Benedix, inserted into the starting XI for the first time since Oct. 26.
Lilian Ricol, already the winner of the Sun Belt Conference’s Newcomer of the Year award, followed his teammate’s early goal with yet another prolific display of his own in UCF’s most crucial match of the year.
He doubled the Knights’ advantage with his 11th tally of the fall in the 51st minute and later netted his second score of the match in the 65th minute, securing not only his second multi-goal affair of the season but also his third-game winner of the year as well.
With the effort, Ricol, named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, also clinched UCF’s first brace in a conference tournament final since at least 1998, as far back as NCAA records are available.
Ricol was joined on the All-Tournament team by Benedix, Clarence Awoudor, and Claudel N’goubou.
With seven saves during the match, senior goalkeeper Juanvi Muñoz bested his previous season high of six this fall, also against the Thundering Herd Nov. 4, and produced his highest single-game total since his seven stops against Old Dominion in Norfolk Oct. 14, 2023.
Knights selected to host FIU in NCAA Tournament
The Knights welcomed Florida Atlantic to the UCF Soccer Complex last Thursday at 7 p.m. for the sixth home NCAA Tournament contest in the program’s 50th season.
Just over a week ago, UCF was 67th in RPI and the fifth-seed in the Sun Belt Tournament, needing to pull off at least one top-25 win to put themselves in contention for the NCAA’s and another two to secure automatic qualification.
Not only did the Knights secure the automatic bid, but head coach Scott Calabrese and his squad moved up 35 spots in the RPI to No. 32, garnering the squad the chance to host a first-round matchup.
UCF WOMEN’S HOOPS SPLIT
In its second game of the 2025-26 campaign, the UCF women’s basketball team fell short Sunday afternoon (Nov. 9) against the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, 66-64, at Addition Financial Arena.
A difficult second quarter (7 points) left the Knights, which outscored the 49ers in the other three quarters, with ground to make up in the final half, eventually holding the visitors to just 27 percent shooting across the last two quarters. However, UCF missed key free throws down the stretch, which ultimately handed the Knights their first defeat of the season. The contest was a nail-biter from start to finish, with four Knights adding three-point field goals to their records and two topping career highs.
Leah Harmon led the Knights in scoring once again, tallying 17 points to surpass her career high of 14 set on opening night. Harmon also beat her career highs of three-point field goals made (3) and assists (5) during this matchup.
Mahogany Chandler-Roberts set a career high with nine points and also added an impressive six boards.
Auburn transfer Savannah Scott has remained perfect from the field through two contests, connecting on all four shots after going three-for-three against Bethune-Cookman.
A pair of missed free throws with 17-seconds left gave the Black and Gold a chance to tie or take the lead and Harmon drove for a game-tying layup with nine-seconds remaining.
But miscommunication saw the Knights foul immediately and Tanajah Hayes converted on both charity tosses for Charlotte with eight seconds left and UCF was unable to get off a decent last-second shot as time expired.
Looking to give kids some knowledge in Addition Financial Arena on the program’s annual school day Tuesday Afternoon (11 a.m. start), the UCF women’s basketball team charged past FIU courtesy of a strong second-half display en route to a convincing 79-61 victory.
The Knights (2-1) bounced back into the win column behind a balanced scoresheet, as four hit double digits while also dishing out an impressive 19 assists. While up just five at the break, UCF outscored the Panthers (1-2) in the third quarter, 22-10, securing control of the contest and, in turn, giving minutes to each player on the roster.
Quick Hits:
* Samari Bankhead set a new career-high off the bench, scoring 13 points while nailing a half-court buzzer-beater to end the first period.
* UCF shot 90% (18-20) from the charity stripe. This marks the highest free-throw percentage in a game for the Knights with a minimum of 15 free-throw attempts since Nov. 21, 2018, against Central Michigan (14-15) and the best mark under head coach Sytia Messer.
* Harmon hit double digits once again with a 15-point performance against FIU; her 46 points through her first three games are tied for fifth for any Knight over the past decade.
* Fifth-year Jacorriah Bracey paced the Black and Gold in scoring for the first time this campaign behind her 12th-career performance with 15 or more points, tallying a season-high 17 on an efficient six-for-eight mark from the field.
* The Knights have held two of their three opponents to six or fewer assists thus far, while also continuing to control transitional opportunities, outscoring the visitors 19-10 on fast break this afternoon to move their overall total to 56-26.
Here are the box scores:
UNC-Charlotte 66, UCF 64
University of North Carolina-Charlotte (2-1)
Princess Anderson 5-17 14-18 26, Asianae Nicholson 4-11 1-4 9, Tanajah Hayes 2-9 2-2 6, Zoe Best 2-10 0-0 5, Daphane White 1-2 0-0 2, Karen Nimo 3-8 1-2 10, Janavia Gage 3-3 0-0 6, Caroline Thiel 1-1 0-0 2, Imani Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Caitlin Staley 0-1 0-0 0. Totals _ 21-62 18-26 66.
UCF (1-1)
Leah Harmon 5-14 4-4 17, Mahogany Chandler-Roberts 4-7 1-2 9, Jacorriah Bracey 3-8 1-2 7, Khyala Ngodu 2-5 3-4 7, Kristol Ayson 1-5 1-2 4, Savannah Scott 4-4 0-0 8, Summer Yancy 2-4 2-4 7, Samari Bankhead 2-4 0-1 5, Jasmynne Gibson 0-1 0-0 0, Kayanna Cox 0-3 0-2 0. Totals _ 23-55 12-21 64.
Charlotte 13 23 13 13 _ 66
UCF 19 7 22 16 _ 64
3-point field goals _ Charlotte 6-18 (Nimo 3-5, Anderson 2-7, Best 1-4, Hayes 0-2); UCF 6-17 (Harmon 3-8, Ayson 1-3, Yancy 1-3, Bankhead 1-1, Cox 0-2). Team Fouls _ Charlotte 22, UCF 23. Fouled Out _ none. Technical Fouls _ none. Rebounds _ Charlotte 39 (Nicholson 18, Gage 8); UCF 39 (Ngodu 7, Chandler-Roberts 6). Turnovers _ Charlotte 17, UCF 23. Assists _ Charlotte 10 (Hayes 8); UCF 14 (Harmon 5, Ayson 3, Yancy, Ngodu 2 each). Steals _ Charlotte 8 (Anderson, Nicholson, Gage 2 each), UCF 5 (Ngodu, Chandler-Roberts 2 each). Blocked Shots _ Charlotte 3 (Nicholson, Best, Staley), UCF 5 (Scott 4).
UCF 79, FIU 61
Florida International University (1-2)
Claudia Marina Gonzalez 4-7 0-0 12, Fantasia James 3-7 2-5 9, Grecia Ferrer Leal 2-5 2-5 6, Denika Lightbourne 0-4 0-0 0, Ndate Ndiaye 0-0 0-0 0, Parris Atkins 7-17 6-6 20, Rhema Collins 4-12 6-9 14, Judit Valero 0-3 0-0 0, Adama Badjie Coly 0-2 0-0 0. Totals _ 20-57 16-25 61.
UCF (2-1)
Jacorriah Bracey 6-8 4-5 17, Leah Harmon 5-10 2-2 15, Khyala Ngodu 4-8 2-2 10, Mahogany Chandler-Roberts 1-6 4-4 6, Kristol Ayson 1-3 2-2 5, Samari Bankhead 4-9 3-3 13, Jasmynne Gibson 2-3 0-0 4, Savannah Scott 1-1 1-2 3, Logan Reed 1-1 0-0 2, Kayanna Cox 1-5 0-0 2, Audreonia Benson 1-1 0-0 2, Summer Yancy 0-3 0-0 0, Felicia Schoelander 0-0 0-0 0, Meja Hansel 0-0 0-0 0. Totals _ 27-58 18-20 79.
FIU 13 14 10 24 _ 61
UCF 16 16 22 25 _ 79
3-point field goals _ FIU 5-14 (Gonzalez 4-7, James 1-2, Atkins 0-3, Valero 0-1, Collins 0-1); UCF 7-20 (Harmon 3-5, Bankhead 2-7, Ayson 1-3, Bracey 1-2, Cox 0-2). Team Fouls _ FIU 21, UCF 21. Fouled Out _ none. Technical Fouls _ none. Rebounds _ FIU 30 (Collins 7, Gonzalez 5); UCF 42 (Chandler-Roberts 9, Ngodu 6, Gibson 5). Turnovers _ FIU 19, UCF 18. Assists _ FIU 6 (Leal 4); UCF 19 (Harmon 5, Bankhead 4, Yancy 3). Steals _ FIU 8 (Atkins 3, Coly 2), UCF 4 (Bankhead 2). Blocked Shots _ FIU 0, UCF 2 (Ngodu 2).
Up Next:
UCF hosted FAMU on Friday and South Carolina State on Monday and before heading to Puerto Rico for the Discover Puerto Rico Classic where it will face East Carolina at 11 a.m. today (Wednesday), Wake Forest at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday and Rice at 4 p.m. on Friday. All three games will be streamed by FLOCOLLEGE.
STETSON WOMEN’S HOOPS TO RETURN FROM A BREAK
The Stetson Hatters women's basketball team (2-2) returned from a 10-day break to host Trinity College (Fla.) for Alzheimers Awareness Night at Insight Credit Union Arena at the Edmunds Center last Friday before heading to Nashville, Tennessee, for the Music City Classic at Trevecca Trojan Fieldhouse, facing Northern Kentucky on Tuesday and Saint Louis today (Wednesday) at 11 a.m.), with both games carried on Baller Television.
ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD
Coming up at Orlando Speed World Dragway:
* Today: Wheels Up Wednesday _ “All Welcome Test and Tune and Grudge Racing” with gates opening at 6 p.m. and racing from 6 p.m.-to-10:30 p.m. $20 General Admission or $30 to race.
* Full Throttle Friday _ Tour of Destruction.
* Saturday _ OSW No Prep.
* FUNDAY Sunday _ “All Welcome Test and Tune and Grudge Racing” with gates opening at 10 a.m. and racing from 10:30 a.m.-to-5 p.m. $20 General Admission (kids 10-and-Under free) or $35 to race.
The Dragway information Hotline is at (407) 568-5522 and the website is at _ www.raceosw.com/dragway/.
UCF VOLLEYBALL DROPS HOME FINALE
UCF volleyball (16-11, 7-9 Big 12) led in all three sets, including 16-10 in the first set, but No. 9 ranked and Big 12 Conference leading Arizona State (23-3, 14-1) proved to get just too strong in the Knights’ final home match of the season before 1,078 fans at The Venue at Addition Financial Arena Wednesday night.
The Sun Devils won 3-0 (25-19, 25-18 and 25-13) behind excellent serving and a strong defensive effort.
Avah Armour led the Black and Gold with 11 kills, two blocks and four digs, while Skylar English added to her nation-leading service aces with four to go along with eight kills, two assists and six digs and Abby Schomers had 25 assists and four digs.
Up Next:
UCF will close out the regular season with a trip to Kansas to face Kansas State tonight (Wednesday) at 7:30 p.m. at Morgan Family Arena in Manhattan and the University of Kansas on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Horejsi Family Arena in Lawrence.
SANFORD ADULT SOFTBALL
Here is the upcoming schedule in the City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department Adult Softball Fall Season.
The Semi-Co-Ed/Fun League will be idle tonight (Wednesday) for Thanksgiving.
Week 9 of the Men’s League on Tuesday (December 2) has Voltz vs. The Handicapps at 6:30 p.m.; Bad Apples vs. WW at 7:30 p.m.; Bokey Batters vs. Venezolanos en Sanford at 8:30 p.m; and Celery City Gamecocks vs. West End Trading Company at 9:30 p.m. The Titans have the week off.
Everyone is invited to watch the games for free at Pinehurst Park on West 24th Street.
For more information contact Dominic Pascuzzo, City of Sanford Recreation Supervisor, at the City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department at 407-688-5120, extension 5004; Fax _ 407-688-5121; facebook.com/SanfordFLCityGovt; instagram.com/cityofsanfordfl; visit the city website _ www.sanfordfl.gov _ or email: [email protected].
LMSA
Upcoming:
* Thursday, November 27 _ The November LMSA Membership Meeting will be held from 7 p.m.-to-8 p.m. at the LMSA Club House (531 North Palmetto Avenue).
* Friday, December 5-thru-Sunday, December 7 _ The Lake Monroe Sailing Association is proud to announce that we are the organizing authority for the 2025 Sanford Sailfest Regatta. This event has been held on Lake Monroe since the 70’s and is one of the largest events of its kind in the area. The 2025 event will be the 25th time LMSA has hosted the Sailfest Regatta and the multi-day regatta offers competitive design racing in a variety of classes along with open Portsmouth fleets to offer racing for everyone to enjoy. Here is the Schedule:
· Friday, December 5 _ Early Registration from 7 p.m.-to-8 p.m. at the LMSA Clubhouse.
· Saturday, December 6 _ Registration from 8:30 a.m.-to-10 a.m. at the LMSA Clubhouse. Skippers meeting at 11 a.m. and warning signal at 11:55 a.m. Three races are scheduled with dinner to follow racing.
· Sunday, December 7 _ Warning signal (no skippers meeting) at 9:55 a.m. with two races scheduled (no races to be started after 2 p.m.) and an Awards and Trophies ceremony to follow racing.
* Saturday, December 13 _ LMSA Members Club Race. Race #11 of the 2025 Members Club Race Series for the Hayden Trophy. Skippers meeting at noon.
* Thursday, December 25 _ The December LMSA Membership Meeting will be held from 7 p.m.-to-8 p.m. at the LMSA Club House (531 North Palmetto Avenue).
* Sunday, December 28 _ Sine Metu Jameson Irish Whiskey Race. The start window is 2 p.m-to-2:05 p.m.
For more information, visit _ www.flalmsa.org _ or call (321) 578-8364.
UCF MEN’S BASKETBALL STREAKING
In a game the UCF men’s basketball team (4-1) led for 36 minutes, it all came down to two free throws Monday night at Addition Financial Arena. Riley Kugel, the latest addition to the 1,000-point club, drilled his 1,015th and 1,016th points to seal an 87-83 win over the Oakland Grizzlies (1-4).
Kugel, who finished the night with 18 points, became the third Knight on the current roster to reach the milestone, joining Themus Fulks and Devan Cambridge. Having tallied double-digits in each of the Knights' early outings, Kugel currently leads the stat sheet in scoring, having entered the game with 72 points. The mark also ranks him 10th in the Big 12 in total points in the young season.
Late in the first half, the Knights forced five first-half turnovers, converting them into 13 points, to secure a 40-34 lead at the end of the first frame.
UCF came out firing in the second half, opening with a 9-0 run in the first 1:42 to stretch the lead to double digits at 53-42, which would swell to 14, 67-53, at the 12-minute media time out.
But Oakland turned up the pressure as the Black and Gold went into the doldrums, allowing the Grizzlies to go on a 15-point run and take a 68-67 lead.
The Knights were able to regain the lead, but could not get away from the guests, as the score stood at 81-80 with 1:50 on the clock.
A missed free throw by the Grizzlies and two free throws from Kugel put the game out of reach and sealed the final score, 87-83.
Jamichael Stillwell had a huge night, finishing the night with 20 points and 14 rebounds, and Fulks also had a double-double picking up 11 points of his own and dishing out a team-high 10 assists.
Jordan Burks also contributed to the Knights' double-digit scoring effort, tallying 13 points while pulling down seven rebounds on the evening. Meanwhile, Fulks contributed to the team's strong presence on the glass, securing six rebounds in addition to his offensive dominance.
UCF was coming off an amazing comeback at Reed Arena in Lubbock, Texas, as double-digit scoring from five new players powered the Knights (3-1) to an 86-74 victory over the Texas A&M Aggies (2-2) Friday evening in their first road game of the season.
The Black and Gold rallied in both halves, coming back from a 26-18 deficit to tie the game at 30-30 at intermission, and then after the hosts appeared to break the game open with an 11-0 burst to open the second half that gave them their largest lead of the game, and put the Knights in a 52-38 hole.
But outstanding defense and 3-point shooting from Burks and Carmelo Pacheco ignited the response UCF needed as the Knights mounted a 15-7 run powered by back-to-back threes from Burks to pull within striking distance at 61-59 with 7:42 remaining. Burks finished the night with a career-high 21 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, also a career-best for made three-point shots in a single game.
Kugel added timely buckets in the paint to tie the game at 63 and again at 65, before a trio of threes from Pacheco gave the Black and Gold their first double-digit lead of the game at 78-67.
Pacheco was nearly automatic from deep, tallying 15 points on the evening, connecting on 5-of-6 of his shots, all from behind the three-point line.
Despite the Aggies' best efforts to get the game back under control, the Black and Gold never relinquished their lead, with a final dunk from Kris Parker cementing the victory.
In total, the Black and Gold connected on 15 of their final 18 shots of the game, outscoring the Aggies 46-22 in the final 12 minutes of action.
John Bol added a career-best 11 points to the night’s tally, while Kugel and Fulks joined the double-digit effort with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Fulks remained solid through the final stretch, shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe and dishing out a team-high nine assists.
Here are the box scores:
UCF 86, Texas A&M 74
UCF (3-1)
Jordan Burks 7-11 2-2 21, Riley Kugel 5-12 1-2 12, Themus Fulks 2-6 6-6 11, John Bol 4-5 3-3 11, Jamichael Stillwell 0-2 2-2 2, Carmelo Pacheco 5-6 0-0 15, Kris Parker 3-6 2-2 9, George Beale Jr. 1-4 0-0 3, Jeremy Foumena 1-1 0-0 2, Devan Cambridge 0-3 0-0 0, Elijah Hulsewe 0-0 0-0 0, Chris Johnson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals _ 28-56 16-17 86.
Texas A&M (2-2)
Marcus Hill 4-11 4-6 14, Rashaun Agee 3-8 7-9 13, Pop Isaacs 2-6 5-6 11, Federiko Federiko 0-3 2-2 2, Rylan Griffen 0-3 0-0 0, Zach Clemence 4-8 3-3 12, Josh Holloway 5-6 0-0 12, Ruben Dominguez 3-8 2-2 10, Ali Dibba 0-2 0-0 0, Jacari Lane 0-2 0-0 0, Chris McDermott 0-0 0-0 0. Totals _ 21-57 23-30 74.
Halftime Score _ Texas A&M 30, UCF 30. 3-point Field Goals _ UCF 14-28 (Pacheco 5-6, Burks 5-7, Kugel 1-3, Beale 1-3, Fulks 1-2, Parker 1-2, Cambridge 0-3, Stillwell 0-2), Texas A&M 9-29 (Hill 2-6, Dominguez 2-6, Isaacs 2-5, Holloway 2-2, Clemence 1-1, Agee 0-5, Griffen 0-3, Lane 0-1). Team Fouls _ UCF 23, Texas A&M 16. Fouled Out _ none. Technical Fouls _ none. Rebounds _ UCF 33 (Stillwell 9); Texas A&M 32 (Agee 8, Federiko 6, Clemence 5). Turnovers _ UCF 16; Texas A&M 14. Assists _ UCF 23 (Fulks 9, Kugel 5, Bol 4); Texas A&M 15 (Griffen 4, Federiko 3). Steals _ UCF 8 (Kugel, Fulks, Stillwell, Bol 2 each); Texas A&M 8 (Agee, Federiko, Holloway 2 each). Blocked Shots _ UCF 3 (Burks, Bol, Stillwell), Texas A&M 1 (Federiko).
UCF 87, OAKLAND 83
Oakland (1-4)
Isaac Garrett 7-12 9-10 23, Brody Robinson 4-8 9-11 20, Tuburu Naivalurua 4-11 3-3 11, Nassim Mashhour 2-11 0-0 4, Ziare Wells 1-4 0-0 2, Brett White 7-12 1-2 21, Warren Marshall IV 1-1 0-0 2, Khoi Thurmon 0-1 0-0 0, Nate Deer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals _ 26-61 22-26 83.
UCF (4-1)
Jamichael Stillwell 8-13 3-4 20, Riley Kugel 5-12 5-6 18, Jordan Burks 5-11 2-2 13, Themus Fulks 4-9 3-4 11, John Bol 3-3 0-0 6, Kris Parker 3-3 2-5 8, Carmelo Pacheco 2-8 2-2 8, Devan Cambridge 1-3 0-0 2, Jeremy Foumena 0-0 1-2 1, George Beale Jr. 0-1 0-0 0, Chris Johnson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals _ 31-65 18-25 87.
Halftime Score _ UCF 44, Oakland 40. 3-point Field Goals _ Oakland 9-23 (White 6-11, Robinson 3-4, Mashhour 0-7, Naivalurua 0-1); UCF 7-23 (Kugel 3-8, Pacheco 2-8, Burks 1-5, Beale 1-3, Stillwell 1-1, Johnson 0-1). Team Fouls _ Oakland 18; UCF 19. Fouled Out _ none. Technical Fouls _ none. Rebounds _ Oakland 32 (Garrett 7, Naivalurua 6); UCF 42 (Stillwell 14, Burks 7, Fulks 6). Turnovers _ Oakland 10; UCF 11. Assists _ Oakland 17 (Naivalurua 5, Mashhour, Thurmon 3 each); UCF 21 (Fulks 10). Steals _ Oakland 3 (Robinson, Mashhour, White); UCF 4 (Burks, Fulks, Parker, Pacheco). Blocked Shots _ Oakland 3 (White 2); UCF 4 (Kugel, Cambridge, Burks, Bol).
Up Next:
The Knights were at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center to face Pitt last Thursday in the Legends Classic before returning to Orlando on Tuesday to host Quinnipiac and will remain at Addition Financial Arena to host VMI on Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
STETSON MEN’S BASKETBALL
Stetson (2-3) generated consistent defensive pressure and forced 18 turnovers but the Hatters came up short in a 76-65 road contest at Western Carolina (2-2, 0-0 SoCon) on Sunday afternoon.
Top Performers:
* Sean Morgan _ 12 points, 3-4 FT, 5 rebounds.
* Collin Kuhl _ 12 points, 5-9 FG, 5 rebounds.
* Jamie Phillips Jr. _ 10 points, 6-8 FT, 5 rebounds.
* Calvin Sirmans III _ 7 points, 3 steals, 4 rebounds.
Last Wednesday, the Hatters earned a gritty 64-60 victory over Howard at Edmunds Center, using defensive pressure, timely scoring, and a strong night at the free-throw line to protect the lead wire-to-wire. The Hatters shot 75 percent at the stripe (21-of-28), a steadying force on a night when every possession mattered.
Top Performers:
* Jamie Phillips Jr.: 13 points, 8 rebounds (season high).
* Calvin Sirmans III: 7 points, 5-of-7 FT, 6 assists, 1 block.
* Collin Kuhl: 14 points (season high), 6-of-7 FT, 6 rebounds.
* Matar Diop: 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks.
Up Next:
The Hatters remained at Insight Credit Union Arena at Edmunds Center for a game with VMI on Saturday and Wright State on Tuesday and now will head to the UPMC Events Center in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, for the Urban-Bennett Invitational to face Southern Utah on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Robert Morris on Sunday, also at 2 p.m.
UCF FOOTBALL HEADING TO NO. 12 BYU
UCF football will close out the regular season on Saturday with a trip to Utah to face powerful No. 12 in Provo, Utah, at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The time had not been announced at Press Time.
The contest will be carried on the radio on AM740/FM 96.9 The Game (Play-by-Play _ Marc Daniels; Analyst _ Gary Parris; Reporter _ Scott Adams), with the pregame show starting two hours before starting time, and Spanish Radio: UCFKnights.com, YouTube.com/UCFKnights.
Live Stats will be available at _ UCFKnights.com (https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=605186) _ and if you would like to comment, use Twitter _ @UCF_Football _ under the Hashtag _ #ChargeOn.
PRIDE OUSTED IN SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Orlando Pride fell to No. 8 Gotham FC, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium, ending the Pride’s title defense in their second straight semifinal appearance after winning the NWSL Championship and Shield in 2024.
After 90 minutes of back-and-forth play with chances on both sides, stoppage time proved decisive.
In the seventh minute of added time, Gotham earned a free kick just outside the corner of the box. Forward Jaedyn Shaw curled her shot behind the Pride’s defensive line, where it bounced in the six-yard box before slipping past goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse into the bottom-right corner.
Less than three minutes later, the Pride had a chance to equalize with a free kick of their own. Marta sent the ball into the box, where defender Oihane flicked a header toward goal, but Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger made a last-second stretch save to preserve the win and end the Pride’s hopes of repeating as champions.
Scoring Summary:
* 90+7’ - Jaedyn Shaw – GFC 1, ORL 0.
For more information on City SC and Orlando Pride, visit OrlandoCitySC.com or Orlando-Pride.com.
