USF-Florida International Game Notes | PDF
USF “Bulls” vs. Florida International “Golden Panthers”
Game No. Six
November 29, 2007, 5:15 p.m.
Pharmed Arena (5,000), Miami, FL
Radio/Internet
1010 Sports/GoUSFBulls.com
Play-by-Play Garrett Walvoord
The University of South Florida women's basketball team will hit the road for the first time this season as it travels south on Interstate-75 to face in-state rival Florida International (1-4) on Thursday night ... Tip-off at Pharmed Arena is slated for 5:15 p.m. ... The game can be heard live in the Tampa Bay area on 1010 Sports with Garrett Walvoord handling the play-by-play ... Thursday's game marks the Bulls' first contest in eight days since starting the 2007-08 season with four games in eight days ... USF, however will have to deal with a quick turnaround following the game with the Golden Panthers as it faces Saint Peter's on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the Sun Dome ... Thursday is the second of five games against opponents from the State of Florida that the Bulls will face this season, and the second straight ... The “Green and Gold” are coming off an 86-44 win over Stetson on Nov. 20, and opened the season with a 84-49 triumph over Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 13 ... The Bulls will also face North Florida (Dec. 5) and Florida A&M (Dec. 9) with both games coming at home ... USF is 18-11 against teams from the “Sunshine State” since head coach Jose Fernandez took over prior to the 2000-01 season, 11-4 since 2003-04 and 10-1 since the 2004-05 campaign ... The Bulls come into the game with FIU boasting a 33-13 record against regular season non-conference opponents since the 2004-05 season and a 13-5 slate since the beginning of last season ... USF is also looking to end the month of November with another winning ledger ... The Bulls will look to improve upon its already impressive record in the month of November during the Jose Fernandez era ... Since the 2000-01 campaign, USF has turned in a 32-8 slate in November, a 14-2 record over the past two seasons and a 19-4 ledger over the past three ... USF is coming off its 86-44 win over the Hatters, raising its record to 3-2 on the year ... It was the second time this season that the Bulls scored better than 80 points in a game ... Jessica Lawson poured in 20 points, marking her second straight 20-point outing of the season, and Shantia Grace added 18 points in the win ... Porche Grant turned in her first career double-double with a career-high 10 points and 12 rebounds ... Caitlyn Mitryk also added a career-best 10 points and six rebounds in the win ... So far on the season, Lawson continues to lead USF in scoring netting 15.3 points per game and is fourth in rebounding grabbing 6.3 boards per outing ... Grace and Jazmine Sepulveda are second and third respectively on the team in scoring averaging 14.5 and 10.2 points per game ... Grant leads the team on the glass pulling in eight rebounds per contest.
Scouting FIU
Florida International comes into Thursday's game with a 1-4 record on the season and a 1-2 slate at home ... The Golden Panthers' only win of the season came in the season opener, with a 70-62 triumph over Division II Lynn University.
LaQuetta Ferguson leads FIU in scoring, and is one of just two players on the team in double digits, netting 20.4 points per game ... Iva Ciglar is second on the team in scoring averaging 10 points per outing ... Marquita Adley paces the team on the boards grabbing 9.6 rebounds per outing for the Golden Panthers.
FIU has faced two BIG EAST foes in its first five games of the season ... DePaul handed the Golden Panthers an 89-77 loss in the “Windy City” on Nov. 15, while Providence defeated them 71-60 on Nov. 23 in the first round of the FIU Thanksgiving Tournament.
FIU is coming off an 82-66 loss to South Carolina on Nov. 25 in the consolation game its own Thanksgiving Tournament in Miami ... Ferguson led all scorers with 32 points and shared team-high rebounding honors with six, while Adley added 10 points in the loss ... The Golden Panthers were dominated in the paint, being outscored 40-10 by the Gamecocks, and off the bench where South Carolina held a 27-12 advantage.
The Series vs. The Golder Panthers
Thursday's game marks the 18th game between USF and Florida International with Bulls holding a slight 9-8 advantage in the all-time series ... USF, however, has won three straight, four of the last six, and five of the last nine games played between the two schools.
Each team holds the the advantage on their home floors ... The Bulls are 4-2 against the Golden Panthers in Tampa while FIU is 6-5 at Pharmed Arena ... This will be the third meeting between the two schools in Miami over the last three seasons and the fourth meeting at Pharmed Arena in the last six games.
USF head coach Jose Fernandez, a 1992 graduate of Florida International, looks to win his
fourth-straight game against his alma mater and the third in his hometown of Miami ... Fernandez is currently 3-0 all-time against the Golden Panthers.
There has never been an overtime game in the 17-game series.
The Last Time Out vs. FIU
USF handed Florida International a convincing 96-73 loss on Nov. 30, 2006 in Tampa ... The Bulls jumped out to a quick 13-3 just three and a half minutes into the contest and never looked back ... USF led at the half 56-27.
USF's 56 points in the first half was the second most scored in a half during the 2006-07 season and the most scored in a half since the Bulls poured in 68 in the second half against Puerto Rico-Mayaguez in the first round of the San Juan Shootout on Dec. 19, 2005.
The Bulls shot 47.4 percent (18-38) from the field in the first half, including an impressive 62.5 percent (5-8) from behind the three-point arc prior to the intermission.
Jessica Dickson led the way with a game and season-high 30 points, including 21 in the first half ... She joined Shantia Grace - who recorded a career high with 26 points - and Rachael Sheats who added 13 in the win.
Nalini Miller hauled down a season-high 15 rebounds and had three blocked shots in 26 minutes of action.
The Last Time Out
USF got back on the winning track with a dominating 86-44 win over in-state foe Stetson on Nov. 20 in Tampa.
Four players scored in double figures for USF led by Jessica Lawson's 20 points, her second straight 20-point effort of the season ... Shantia Grace added 18 points and Caitlyn Mitryk and Porche Grant each added career highs of 10 points ... Grant also hauled down 12 rebounds for her first career double-double.
The Bulls jumped out to a commanding 13-0 that stretched to a 23-4 beginning on a lay-up by Mitryk ... Stetson would cut the lead slightly to 17 points (33-16) on a three-pointer by Jamie Nesbit with 3:03 left, but it wouldn't get any closer the rest of the half ... The Bulls pushed their lead to over 30 points early in the second half and would never get any closer with the final margin being the largest lead of the game.
On the night, USF shot 42.7 percent (32-75) from the field en route to the win, however the biggest accomplishment of the night had to be in the turnover column ... The Bulls committed just eight miscues against the Hatters after recording no fewer than 20 in any of their first four games of the season ... Last year USF logged 20 or more turnovers just once.
The Bulls forced the Hatters into 17 miscues on the night that would result in a 23-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
USF Was Treymendous Against Bethune-Cookman
USF wasn't shy about firing up the long ball in its season opener on Nov. 13 ... The Bulls were 11-30 (36.7 percent) from behind the arc against Bethune-Cookman ... USF's treys made was the fourth most hit in school history, and the most since hitting 11 against UAB on Jan. 6, 2002.
The backcourt tandem of Jazmine Sepulveda and Shantia Grace combined for 8-11 from behind the three-point arc against the Wildcats ... Grace was also 5-10 from the floor on the night.
J-Law Making The Most Of Her Minutes
Jessica Lawson regrouped from a tough outing in the Bulls' lone exhibition game of the preseason where she was 0-4 from the field and 1-2 from the free throw line against the Miami Sun in 21 minutes ... Although Lawson saw just 18 minutes against Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 13, she tallied 16 points on 6-9 shooting from the field and 4-7 from the charity stripe ... She also grabbed six rebounds in the win over Bethune-Cookman.
Lawson had a career afternoon on Nov. 18 against Illinois State despite it being in a loss ... The transfer from California poured in a career-high 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds ... It was her second career double-double and her first at USF ... She surpassed her previous career best of 19 points scored twice against Arizona.
Lawson followed up her 20-point outing against Illinois State with another against Stetson ... She shot 7-11 from the field and was 6-8 from the charity stripe for 20 points in 25 minutes ... It is the first time of her career that she has recorded back-to-back 20-point games.
Lawson has also been pretty automatic from the free throw line over the past two games ... She comes into Thursday's game hitting 78.9 percent (15-19) of her free throws in her last two games including an 81.8 percent clip (9-11) against Illinois State on Nov. 18.
Amazing Grace Is Back
Shantia Grace is back where she left off after the 2006-07 season concluded ... Grace is second on the team in scoring averaging 14.5 points per game and leads the team in assists per game handing out 3.5 per contest ... She is, however, second in total assists with 14 just one behind fellow guard Jazmine Sepulveda.
Grace is the only player on the team to have scored in double figures in every game she has played in this year - four ... Grace missed the New Hampshire game on Nov. 17 due to a coaches decision ... Coming into the Florida International game, Grace has netted double digits in the scoring column in her last six games played, dating back to last season, and in 12 of her last 14.
Grace Moving Up The Charts
Shantia Grace continues to move up USF's career assist chart ... She came into the season No. 7 on the school's all-time list with 311 career hand-outs ... Her 14 assists so far this season has moved her into sixth place on the chart - with 325 career assists - surpassing former Bull Angie Snyder (1989-92) ... Grace is currently 40 assists shy of tying Anedra Gilmore (2003-05) and 41 from moving into sole possession of fifth place.
Running Like A Porche
Porche Grant got out of the gate quickly against Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 13 ... Grant hauled down a career and team-high 14 rebounds against the Wildcats surpassing her previous best of 11 against Massachusetts on Nov. 26, 2006.
Grant recorded her first career double-double on Nov. 20 against Stetson with a 10-point, 12-rebound outing ... Her 10 points was also a career-high surpassing the eight scored in her collegiate debut against Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Nov. 10, 2006.
Coming into the game with FIU, Grant leads the team on the glass grabbing eight rebounds per game.
D-Bert's Big Night
Melissa Dalembert had a huge night in USF's outing against New Hampshire on Nov. 17 ... Dalembert poured in a career-high 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the 72-56 win over the Wildcats ... In 27 minutes Dalembert was 8-13 from the field and 3-4 from the free throw line.
Dalembert is the sister of current Philadelphia 76er Samuel Dalembert.
All That Jaz
Junior college transfer Jazmine Sepulveda got a fast start for the Bulls this season netting double figures in two of the first three games ... She tallied 16 points in the season opener against Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 13 and established a career-high 17 points against New Hampshire on Nov. 17.
Sepulveda is currently the team's leader in total assists - albeit slightly - with 15, just one ahead of fellow backcourt-mate Shantia Grace ... The Brooklyn, NY, native dished out a season and career-high six in the season opener against Bethune-Cookman.
Sepulveda hasn't only shot and distributed the ball effectively but has hit the glass as well ... She is currently averaging 5.4 rebounds per game which is good enough for fifth on the team ... She grabbed a career-high 10 boards in USF's loss to Illinois State on Nov. 18 from the point guard spot ... In addition, she is averaging 8.5 rebounds per game in her last two outings and 7.3 in her last three.
Although nine of the 11 players on USF's roster have gotten the starting nod, Sepulveda is the only player to start in all five games this season.
Using The Mitryk Scale
Caitlyn Mitryk had the best game of her career at USF on Nov. 20 against Stetson ... Mitryk scored a career-high 10 points and grabbed a career-best six rebounds ... She also added three assists in 24 minutes of action.
Mitryk earned her first career start on Nov. 17 in the Bulls' game against New Hampshire.
Jose Fernandez Etches His Name In USF Record Books
To say that being the head women's basketball coach at USF has been a work in progress is certainly an understatement ... Jose Fernandez comes into tonight's contest with a 103-109 career coaching record, however it has been what he has done over the past four seasons ... Fernandez has led the Bulls to four-straight postseason appearances - the WNIT in 2004, 2005 and 2007, and the NCAA in 2006 - all while posting a 79-52 (60.3 percent) record since 2003-04.
Against Vermont on Dec. 28, 2006, Fernandez became USF's all-time leader in career wins surpassing former head coach - and former general manager of the now defunct Charlotte Sting of the WNBA - Trudi Lacey (1988-96) who held the top spot with 88 career wins.
Fernandez surpassed Lacey, who held the mark since 1996, accomplishing the feat in his 186th game, while Lacy took 215 out of 219 outings to win 88 ... The Miami native surpassed the mark despite having to include a rough 4-24 campaign in his first year at USF (2000-01).
Jose Fernandez vs. The Top 25
USF is 5-22 vs. teams ranked in the Top 25 of either the AP or ESPN/USA Today polls since Jose Fernandez took over prior to the 2000-01 season.
USF has already faced one Top 25 team this season when it dropped a 89-52 decision to No. 10/9 Duke on Nov. 15 in the ESPNU Invitational at the St. Pete Times Forum ... Duke is one of just two non-conference teams that the Bulls will face that are ranked in the preseason Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Top 25 polls ... USF will take on No. 23/17 Vanderbilt on Jan. 2 in Nashville.
No. 3/3 LSU and No. 3/3 Connecticut - UConn both times when USF played them - were the highest-ranked opponents that the Bulls have ever faced ... The Lady Tigers defeated USF 87-44 in Baton Rouge on Dec, 30, 2005 while the Huskies handed USF an 81-67 loss on Feb. 20, 2007 and a 74-54 setback on Mar. 4, 2007.
On Dec. 7, 2005, DePaul - who was ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25 and No. 13 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll - was the highest ranked team that the Bulls have ever defeated handing the Blue Demons a 79-77 loss in overtime ... The game was the inaugural BIG EAST opener for both schools ... USF's 74-58 win over No. 15/15 Louisville on Jan. 16, 2007 marked the second-highest ranked team that the Bulls have recorded a win over.
USF defeated No. 21/22 Notre Dame on the road in overtime, 68-64, on Jan. 28, 2006.
USF defeated No. 23 Tulane (69-64) on Jan. 20, 2002, and No. 18 TCU (89-84) in a double-overtime thriller on Feb. 2, 2004.
USF defeated three of its last seven Top 25 teams that it played in the Sun Dome (No. 18/18 TCU, No. 11/13 DePaul and No. 15/15 Louisville) with all three victories being conference wins (TCU, Conference USA, DePaul and Louisville, BIG EAST) ... The four losses came against No. 13/15 Michigan State (81-66) on Dec. 10, No. 10/9 Rutgers (66-65) on Jan. 11 last year and to No. 6/6 LSU (60-48) on Jan. 3 and No 3/3 UConn (81-67) on Feb. 20.
The Bulls are 3-1 in overtime games against Top 25 teams since Jose Fernandez took over for the 2000-01 season ... They've defeated No. 18/18 TCU (89-84, 2ot) on Feb. 2, 2004, No. 11/13 DePaul (79-77) on Dec. 7, 2005, and No. 21/22 Notre Dame (68-64) on Jan. 28, 2006. ... The only setback came at the hands of No. 8/8 Connecticut (75-65) on Dec. 1, 2004 in Storrs ... The UConn game was the first overtime game that the Huskies ever played in Gampel Pavilion.
Dome Sweet Dome
USF has dominated its opposition on its home floor of late and look to continue the trend this season ...The Bulls have turned in an impressive 43-9 overall record and a 25-4 mark in non-conference games on their home turf dating back to the 2004-05 season ... In addition, USF is 47-9 in the Sun Dome since defeating No. 18 TCU, 89-84, in double overtime on Feb. 2, 2004, unquestionably the defining game that has led to the Bulls' success over the last three years, and 29-7 on their home turf since the beginning of the 2005-06 season.
USF is 12-4 in BIG EAST games at home - since joining the conference for the 2005-06 season - and 22-5 in league games dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.
USF Inks Another Standout Class
USF head women's basketball coach Jose Fernandez has signed another standout recruiting class with the signing of four players to National Letters of Intent during the recent early signing period ... The Bulls have inked 6-3 forward Tawatha Tucker from Raeford, NC (Village Christian HS), 5-7 guard Jasmine Wynne from Jacksonville, FL (University Christian HS) and 5-8 twin backcourt mates Andrell and Andrea Smith from Lakeland, FL (Lake Gibson HS). All four players are expected to contribute immediately during the 2008-09 season ... This year's class is No. 18 in the nation by the Blue Star Basketball Report (BSBR) and No. 21 by the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report (CGBR).
Tucker comes to USF ranked No. 116 in America by the CGBR, and despite her 6-3 height, brings tremendous athleticism to the floor which will fit in with the Bulls' up-tempo system ... She is a versatile player who can step into the center, power forward, or small forward positions ... Tucker, who averaged 19 points and nine rebounds per game last year at Village Christian in Fayetteville, NC, is also outstanding in transition and can face-up to the basket out to about 15-feet.
Wynne, currently ranked No. 29 by the BSBR and No. 75 by CGBR, is another up-tempo player that will fit USF's system nicely ... She has tremendous court awareness and presence, and the ability to make plays in the transition and hit the three-point shot.
The Smith tandem has been labeled as "one of the best guard combinations in the country" by the CGBR and helped Lake Gibson High School to a 23-5 record during the 2006-07 season ... Andrell is ranked No. 105 by the CGBR and No. 93 by the All Start Girls Report and has already tallied a 40-point game this season ... She is widely regarded as the true point guard and playmaker of the duo ... She averaged 9.8 points per game last season for Lake Gibson and was tabbed an All-Class 5A honorable mention ... Andrea averaged 20.7 points per game last year proving to be a big-time scorer ... Last year she was named to the Florida Sportswriters Association All-Class 5A third team.
USF Picked To Finish Ninth In Preseason BIG EAST Coaches Poll
Despite the loss of more then 60 percent of its offensive production off last year's team, USF still found itself picked near the middle of the pack in this season's BIG EAST Conference preseason coaches poll ... The Bulls were picked by the league's coaches to finish ninth this season with 105 points ... Connecticut was picked to win the league while Rutgers is slated to finish second ... West Virginia (186), Pittsburgh (169) and Notre Dame (165) round out the top five ... Louisville (154), DePaul (152) and Marquette (124) are sixth, seventh and eighth respectively and Seton Hall (93) rounds out the top 10 ... The rest of the poll is as follows: 11. St. John's (93), 12. Villanova (77), 13. Syracuse (61), 14. Cincinnati (49), 15. Providence (36), 16. Georgetown (20).
Fill Your Belly With All-U-Can East Seats
The USF athletics department announced that "All-U-Can-Eat-Seats" will be available for all men's and women's home basketball games for the 2007-08 season ... With the purchase of one south end ticket (second level for men and lower level for women) you will receive a voucher that will allow for "All-U-Can-Eat" hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels and soft drinks for the entirety of the game ... The ticket is $20 for men's games and $15 ($12 youth) for women's games and can be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls.
USF To Host Women's Final Four In 2008
For the first time ever, the NCAA Women's Final Four is coming to the State of Florida, and USF is the host school ... The 2008 event will be played in the St. Pete Times Forum in downtown Tampa, and the Tampa Convention Center will serve as the site of both the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Convention and the fan-centered Hoop City.
USF hosted the 1999 Men's Final Four at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, the 1994 men's first and second rounds and the 1998 men's regional at the Trop ... USF also hosted the 2003 NCAA men's first and second round event at the St. Pete Times Forum.
