Gray Erupts For 33 Points As Women’s Basketball Closes Out Non-Conference Play

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Texas Southern University women’s basketball team dropped a 92-67 decision on the road at Central Florida despite a near school-record scoring outburst from freshman guard Micah Gray.

Gray, who had previously scored 20 or more points in a game three times this season, went off for 33 points on 11-for-24 from the field, 6-for-12 from long range and 5-for-5 from the free throw line.

The 5-foot-8 shooting guard from Oklahoma City, Okla., has made an astounding impact on the Tigers (0-11) in her short time with the program having the distinction of being the only member of the team this season to have started every game.

Gray’s 33 points are the second-most in the last 12 seasons with 35 being attained by three different individuals during that span with the most recent being on Jan. 8, 2022, by Andriana Avent against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Previously, Joyce Kennerson (Nov. 19, 2017, against Sam Houston State) and Jazzmin Parker (Nov. 19, 2013, against McNeese State) also recorded 35 points in a single outing.

Heading into the fourth quarter, it looked as if Gray was going to reach the 20-point threshold easily as she had 16 points through the first three quarters. She then proceeded to go off on a tear shooting 5-for-6 from the field, 4-for-4 from beyond the arc and 3-for-3 from the charity stripe for a 17-point fourth quarter.

The first four minutes of the game saw both teams fighting for control with TSU leading by four at 8-4 on Donterria Brown’s made three-pointer with 7:16 left in the opening quarter before UCF went on a 5-0 run over the next 53 seconds.

Gray’s layup with 6:11 remaining in the first quarter gave TSU the lead back at 10-9. The short lead would be the final lead of the game for the Tigers, who would tie the Knights two additional times later in the first quarter and would eventually trail 22-16 at the end of the quarter.

Central Florida (9-3) outscored TSU 25-13 in the second quarter for a 47-29 lead at the half before leading by as many as 25 points in the third quarter. Neither team shot particularly well during the third quarter as UCF won the quarter 17-14 for a 64-42 lead going into the final stretch.

The fourth quarter was a war between Gray and UCF’s Anzhané Hutton with both players scoring 17 points in the stanza. Hutton would finish with 22 points and four rebounds off the bench.

Destiny Thomas recorded a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double as the Knights outrebounded the Tigers 53-29.

Brown came off the bench to score 12 points for the Tigers while Jaida Belton recorded a team-high eight rebounds.

The result gave Central Florida a 1-0 lead in the series as it was the first time that UCF and TSU have ever met on the hardwood in women’s basketball.
 
UP NEXT
With all the non-conference games out of the way, TSU can focus its sites on play within the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The H&PE Arena will be the site of TSU’s first conference matchup of the season when the Tigers host Southern University on Monday, Jan. 2 at 5:30 p.m. CST.