TAMPA, FL (Jan. 13, 2007) ? The University of South Florida Bulls outscored Notre Dame 13-4 in overtime to beat the Fighting Irish 87-78 Saturday afternoon at the Sun Dome.
The Bulls are now 13-4 overall and 3-1 in the BIG EAST while the Irish drop to 11-5 overall and 2-1 in the conference.
USF senior All-America and National Player of the Year candidate Jessica Dickson (Ocala, FL) scored 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. She also had three assists, two steals and a block while hitting 14-18 from the free throw line.
Dickson opened the game with a trey from the right wing to put the Bulls ahead for the first 24 minutes of the game. Six minutes later, junior guard Daiane Packer (Jundiai, Brazil) converted a long range shot of her own to put the Bulls up by nine, the largest USF lead of the first period.
The Bulls hit 48.3 percent (14-29) from the field in the first half and 5-12 (41.7 percent) from behind the arc.
Dickson led the Bulls through the first half, scoring 16 points while senior forward Nalini Miller (Capital Heights, MD) added 10 points and two blocks to the 44-38 halftime margin.
In the second half the Irish battled back, outscoring the Bulls 36-30 and sending the game into an extra period.
Notre Dame made a 9-2 run at the beginning of the second half to take their first lead of the game with 15:49 remaining in regulation. USF regained the lead on a trey by Packer at 15:13, and held the lead until Notre Dame hit a triple of its own with 14 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.
In overtime the Bulls outscored Notre Dame 13-4, hitting 5-11 from the free throw line and grabbing eight rebounds, opposed to four from the Irish.
Overall, USF scored 25 points from 22 Fighting Irish miscues while committing just 13 turnovers of its own.
Miller notched her second double-double of the season with 14 rebounds and a career-high 26 points to go with her three blocked shots and two steals.
Packer was USF's third player to tally double-digits, hitting 3-5 treys and 2-2 from the line for 11 points.
The Bulls continue their BIG EAST Conference schedule Jan. 16 against No. 17/16 Louisville. Tip off is at 7 p.m. in the Sun Dome.
USF Postgame Notes
- USF's win over Notre Dame improves the Bulls' record on the season to 13-4 and 3-1 in the BIG EAST Conference ... The victory marks the team's second best start in school history, behind the 15-2 beginning to kick off the 1976-77 season.
- The win over the Fighting Irish was the Bulls' second in the past three games cutting into Notre Dame's all-time series lead ... ND now leads the series 3-2.
- Saturday was the second overtime game between the two schools in the past three outings with USF also winning the other extra-session outing 68-64 on Jan. 28, 2006.
- The contest was USF's second overtime outing in its past five games ... The Bulls also defeated Saint Joseph's 80-76 on Dec. 29 in the championship game of the Hawk Classic in Philadelphia ... USF is now 15-10 all-time in overtime games and have won its four straight and seven of its last eight ... The Bulls are 7-0 in overtime games under Head Coach Jose Fernandez.
- USF's 80 points scored against Notre Dame marks just the second time in its last 10 outings that it recorded that many points in a game after scoring at least 84 in the first seven.
- USF's Jessica Dickson tied the schools all-time record for career starts with 109 ... With her next start she will surpass Angie Snyder (1989-92) for the all-time lead ... Dickson has also played in every possible collegiate game during her career (109) ... She is just four games from tying and five from surpassing Alana Tanksley (2001-05) from the all-time lead.
- Tristen Webb got her first start since Feb. 28, 2003 vs. TCU in Fort Worth, TX
- Jessica Dickson recorded her fourth double-double of the season, and the second straight, with 30 points an s 11 rebounds ... It was also the seventh of her career ... After having never put together back-to-back double doubles for her career entering the year, Dickson has dome it twice this season ... She had 16 points and 12 rebounds in the conference opener at Villanova on Dec. 7 and against Vanderbilt with 23 points and 11 boards ... Most recently, Dickson recorded 13 points and 12 rebounds against Rutgers.
- Dickson has scored double figures in 102 out of 109 career games and in 28 straight dating back to last year ... She has also hit double digits in 47 of 48 contests.
- Nalini Miller had a career game pouring in a career-high 26 points and grabbing a season-high 14 boards ... She also had three blocked shots and two steals in the win.
- Dai Packer was the third member of the roster to record double-figure points with 11 off the bench ... Packer was 3-5 from behind the three-point arc ... It was her second career double figure game.
- ChiChi Okpaleke's banking three-pointer made early in the second half raised her to 2-2 on the year.
