FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AISHA!

SISTER ACT

Here's an excerpt of a great article written by John Denton for UCF Knights Insider:

To see the way sisters Kayli and Meghan Keough mesh so well now on the court, the way they support each other through tough times as roommates and speak so highly of one another as best friends, you'd have no idea of the battles they used to wage while playing pick-up basketball in their hometown of Land O' Lakes.

Those knock-down, dragged-out pick-up games were doozies between the much taller Kayli and the much faster Meghan. But in a strange sort of way, those competitive battles helped form the unbreakable bond between the two sisters who currently star for the UCF women's basketball team.
 
"I picked on her a lot, especially when we played basketball in the driveway," remembered Kayli, now a 6-foot-2 power forward for the Knights. "I obviously had my growth spurt before she did, so I was a lot bigger. And then she got really fast, so I had to chase her around and she'd burn me off the dribble. Those were wars. We used to go back and forth, and somebody would get mad and say something or chuck the ball in the bush and run into the house. We'd get really mad at one another.
 
"But now my sister is my best friend,'' Kayli continued. "We get along so well and I always know that she's going to tell me the truth. It's good to have that backbone here with me in college.''
 
The Keough sisters are getting the chance to bond once again and play together at UCF due to a stroke of fate. Meghan, a true freshman guard, committed to UCF first following a stellar high school career where she led Tampa Catholic to two state titles. Kayli, a redshirt junior, originally attended Florida State, but transferred to UCF last year after her sister suggested that she look into UCF's program.
 
Now, they are reunited and both are playing well for the Knights (3-4), who host Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday at 7 p.m. at UCF Arena. Kayli moved into the starting lineup over the Thanksgiving holiday and has scored 23 and 13 points in the past two games, respectively, and is fourth on the team in scoring at 9.7 points per game. Meghan has struggled with her jump shot and the faster pace of the college game, but she is still averaging 6.9 points and 2.1 rebounds and has made five starts.

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/t9FZUl

UCF KNIGHTS ENJOY LIGHT UP THE HOLIDAYS

SARAH GREEN: After a long hard week of practice and games, some of us had an opportunity to attend Light Up The Holidays at Cranes Roost Park. Although it was chilly outside, the festive holiday atmosphere gave us that warm holiday season feeling.One thing that interested Erika Jones and I was the kettle popcorn and the smell of hot dogs cooking on the grill. There was so many things to enjoy with the kids. There were lots of great performances by dance groups and up and coming artist in the amphitheater. Kayli Keough got a chance to see the penguins and she was excited because they reminded her of the penguins from Madagascar. Bryeasha Blair especially loved the fireworks show. We all felt like little kids again watching the fireworks in awe because it was so beautiful how the sky lit up. The best thing from that night was the fans that came and supported us. That  was a huge deal to us and it always puts a smile on our face. 

Check out the photo album: http://on.fb.me/sHqW9D

TEACHING AND LEARNING AT THE YMCA

LEONELLA MONTALVO: On Saturday, December 3, 2011 your UCF Knights Women's Basketball team had the oppurtunity to be involved at a local YMCA basketball league. The kids in the league were as young as three years old. While participating I had the oppurtunity to speak with the kids and realize how much they enjoyed coming every Saturday. These young children were so eager to learn from me and my other teammates; while asking us so many questions they didn't realize they were teaching me and my teammates a lesson as well. I realized why I started playing basketball at the age of 6, because I loved it and because basketball was a way for me to escape and have fun. Somewhere a long the years, the many sprints and preparation I lost sight of how much I really loved this sport. Thankfully these children cleared my mind and allowed me to see  again, reminding me why I wake up every morning to practice; simply because I love it.