Louisville, KY (February 21, 2006) ? The University of South Florida women's basketball team came into tonight's game against Louisville in Freedom Hall knowing that it was a key match up that would have significant meaning in the BIG EAST standings as the regular season comes closer. Both teams entered the contest with 7-6 records, in league play, with three games remaining and the winner would improve its possible position entering the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament in Hartford, CT, March 4-7.
Both teams started out the game quickly and set the offense pace early. Ezria Parsons (Bushnell, FL) scored six of the Bulls first eight points as USF hit 46.2 percent (6-13) through the first eight minutes of the game.
Louisville, however would counter the Bulls shooting hitting 63.6 percent (7-11) over the same stretch.
The Cardinals would take the largest lead of the half, 30-25, with 2:30 left before the intermission. USF would cut the edge to two points on a Shantia Grace (Sarasota, FL) three-pointer with 1:08 left before the half.
Louisville's Angel McCoughtry would give the Cardinals momentum entering the locker room hitting a 17-foot jumper at the halftime buzzer giving UofL a 32-28 lead at the half.
All-America candidate ? and the nation's leading scorer ? Jessica Dickson (Ocala, FL) led the Bulls with nine first half points as Parsons and Cambridge each added six.
The Cardinals came out in the second half and took control of the game extending its halftime edge to as many as eight points, 46-38, on the second of two free throws with 12:22 left in the contest.
USF would claw its way back, using an 8-0 run in back of two consecutive three-pointers by Grace and a jumper by Dickson, to tie the game at 46-all.
The Bulls, however would never take the lead as UofL used its own 15-4 run to take its biggest lead of the game, 61-50, with 4:07 left in the contest on a Connie Neal trey putting the game out of reach.
Parsons would lead USF with 17 points and seven rebounds and Dickson would finish with 12 points, including three in the second half. Grace also added 11 points in the loss.
The Bulls will return to the Sun Dome for its regular season home finale on Saturday when it faces West Virginia at 7 p.m.
