Tampa, FL (January 31, 2006) ? The University of South Florida women's basketball team handed Villanova University its worst loss of the season, while also keeping the Wildcats winless on the road in BIG EAST play, with a 69-49 victory tonight at the Sun Dome.

The win, the Bulls' fourth in their last five games, improves USF's record to 15-7 and 5-4 in the BIG EAST Conference.

Both teams went back and forth for the 8:30 of the first half before the Bulls used a 19-9 run to take their biggest lead of the half, 31-21, on a lay up by Jessica Dickson (Ocala, FL) with 1:04 left in the first half.

The Bulls seemed to learn a lesson from letting Notre Dame picking away at a 13-point second half edge and take the lead last Saturday.

USF would come out of the locker room in the second half and quickly take command extending its lead to 14 points almost five minutes into the second stanza on a three-point shot by Dickson with 15:28 left in the contest.

The Bulls would never be threatened the rest of the way leading by as many as 21 points twice the rest of the way.

USF would put four players in double figures for the first time since Jan. 18 in a 73-55 win over Syracuse.

Dickson led the way with a game-high 22 points, while Ezria Parsons (Bushnell, FL) added 13 points and 12 rebounds in the win. Rachael Sheats (Marietta, GA) and Shantia Grace (Sarasota, FL) added 12 points on the night.

Jenna Vicani scored 11 points for Villanova (12-8, 3-6 BIG EAST).

The Bulls will head to Queens, NY to face No. 25/25 St. John's on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. That game can be seen live in the Tampa Bay area on Catch 47 as part of the BIG EAST Conference Game of the Week package.

After returning to Tampa for a day and a half, USF will hit the road again, following the meeting with the Red Storm, to take on Seton Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in South Orange, NJ.