Thursday, October 27, 2011

GETTING TO KNOW KAYLI KEOUGH

With less than two weeks until UCF's exhibition game against Lynn on Nov. 6 at 2 p.m., members of the women's basketball team are taking a break from their busy schedules to provide a glimpse into their lives. In this Q&A installment, redshirt junior forward Kayli Keough discusses how to pull off the perfect half-court shot and her favorite place to spend her free time.
 
After having to sit last year due to NCAA transfer rules, how excited are you to play this season?
I'm so excited to play this season. Especially how last year went with us winning the conference championship, we're ready to go.

How do you think you can help the team?
By playing hard, cutting hard, looking for my shot and putting in an all-out effort -- hopefully it will be contagious.

Where is your favorite place?
By far my favorite place is the beach. Put me anywhere with an ocean or a lake, a reef, fishing, a sand bar, and I'm totally content. I love being out in the sun or outdoors in any way I can.

You made the half court shot at UKNIGHT Madness - walk us through it, what's the best technique?
I tried to be like our grad assistants last year, Rob and Khalilah, who always practiced their half court shots. Just get a running start and try to get it high and straight, I guess.

What's the best present you've ever received?
That's a tough one. I get really excited over the littlest things so I go mildly crazy on Christmas. One year, my parents got us a trampoline and that was probably one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid.

How many games of one-on-one have you and Meghan played, and who usually wins?
We played a lot when we were younger, out in the front driveway. Way too many to count. When we were younger I was a lot taller and had a big advantage but now it's a toss up.

The reigning Conference USA championship women's basketball team is slated to play 18 home games, tipping off with Florida A&M on Nov. 18. UCF will also welcome Hartford, Florida Gulf Coast, Virginia Tech and Florida State just before the New Year. Fans can ensure that they don't miss a minute of play by purchasing their season tickets today by calling (407) UCF-1000 or by visiting UCFAthletics.com.