OVIEDO, Fla. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle decided at the free-throw line, the Charlotte 49ers edged the UCF Knights 66-64 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Sunday at CFE Arena.

The contest was a tale of contrasting halves, with Charlotte overcoming a slow start to seize control before holding off a late UCF rally. The Knights opened strong, leading 19-13 after the first quarter behind early contributions from Leah Harmon and Mahogany Chandler-Roberts. The game turned decisively in the second period, as the 49ers’ defense clamped down, holding UCF to just seven points. Charlotte outscored the Knights 23-7 in the quarter to take a 36-26 lead into halftime, fueled by the scoring of Princess Anderson.

UCF responded after the break, winning the third quarter 22-17 to narrow the gap to 53-48. The Knights continued to chip away in the fourth, closing to within a single possession on multiple occasions. A driving layup by Leah Harmon with nine seconds remaining brought UCF to 64-62. Charlotte’s Tanajah Hayes was fouled and calmly sank two free throws with eight seconds on the clock to extend the lead back to two possessions. A last-second basket by UCF provided the final margin.

Charlotte’s victory was anchored by a dominant performance on the glass and an ability to capitalize on UCF’s mistakes. The 49ers hauled in 18 offensive rebounds, leading to numerous second-chance opportunities, and outscored the Knights 21-16 in points off turnovers. UCF committed 21 turnovers compared to Charlotte’s 17.

Princess Anderson led all scorers with 26 points for Charlotte. Asianae Nicholson was a force in the paint, pulling down a remarkable 18 rebounds to go with nine points. Tanajah Hayes facilitated the offense, dishing out eight assists.

For UCF, Leah Harmon scored 17 points and added five assists. Khyala Ngodu and Mahogany Chandler-Roberts each contributed nine points, with Ngodu adding seven rebounds.

Neither team shot the ball efficiently. Charlotte finished 21 of 62 from the field for 33.9%, while UCF was slightly better at 23 of 55 for 41.8%. The game was ultimately decided at the charity stripe, where Charlotte made 18 of 26 attempts and UCF connected on 12 of 21.

With the win, Charlotte improves to 2-1 on the young season. UCF falls to 1-1. Charlotte travels to face LSU on Wednesday, while UCF’s next game is at home against Florida International on Tuesday, Nov. 18.