New Brunswick, NJ (January 9, 2007) ? The University of South Florida women's basketball team looked to win its third straight road game, and its fourth contest away from the Sun Dome in its last five games, and in doing so also erase a tough memory from the 2005-06 season.
Last year, the Bulls dropped a heartbreaking 66-65 loss to No. 10/9 Rutgers at home in what many people say was the best college basketball games of the year. A win would have been a benchmark victory for USF in its first year in the BIG EAST Conference.
This season, although not ranked in the Top 25, the Bulls would have their work cut out for them against one of women's college basketball's traditional powers and unfortunately would experience the same fate, albeit in a more dominating fashion, dropping a 62-36 decision to the Scarlet Knights in front of a crowd of 2,614 at the Louis Brown Athletics Center.
All-America and National Player of the Year candidate Jessica Dickson (Ocala, FL) led USF in scoring with 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a losing effort marking her third double-double of the season and the seventh of her career.
Rutgers started out the game strong hitting four of its first seven shots. Kia Vaughan scored six of the Scarlet Knights first eight to take an 8-0 lead before Dickson would get the Bulls on the board with a three-pointer from the top of the key with 15:27 left in the first half.
Shantia Grace (Sarasota, FL) would pull USF to within four, 10-6, on a trey with 14:31 left but the Bulls would never get any closer.
The Bulls would never get into sync offensively during the first half, or the game for that matter, hitting just two field goals during the first eight minutes and shooting a dismal 21.4 percent (6-28) in the first half.
Rutgers would take a 27-16 lead into the locker room at the half. USF's first-half point total was the lowest since scoring 16 points in the first half against Providence on Jan. 21, 2006.
The Scarlet Knights would jump out in the second-half on a 9-1 run giving Rutgers a 36-17 lead with 16:10 remaining in the game. The Scarlet Knights would shoot 71.4 percent (5-7) to start the half as opposed to the Bulls' 10 percent (1-10) during that stretch and never be challenged the remainder of the game.
Rutgers would extend the lead to as many as 33 points, 62-29, on a lay up by Rashidat Junaid with 2:45 left in the game.
The Scarlet Knights dominated USF on the glass out rebounding the Bulls 53-39 which led to 18 second-chance points.
The loss would be the worst for the Bulls since a 77-47 loss to Connecticut on Jan. 24, 2006 in Hartford. In addition, USF's 36 points is tied for the eighth lowest in school history.
USF will return home to the Sun Dome to face Notre Dame on Saturday at noon. The game can be heard live on 860 AM WGUL with Tom Krasniqi handling the play-by-play and Amanda Miller providing the color commentary. In addition, the contest will be seen live on Catch 47 as part of the BIG EAST Game of the Week Package.
