The University of South Florida women's basketball team looks to extend its winning streak to five games this weekend when it faces its final in-state foe of the season in Florida A&M, Sunday at 2 p.m. ... The game can be heard live in the Tampa Bay area on 1010 Sports with Garrett Walvoord handling the play-by-play and Amanda Miller providing color analysis ... Live audio and video can also be accessed by logging on to www.GoUSFBulls.com and clicking PressPass (subscription required) ... USF's current four-game winning streak is the longest winning stretch sicne the Bulls opened the 2006-07 campaign winning their first seven ... They would put together two three- game winning streaks last season after winning their first seven but could not extend it to four ... Sunday's game is the second of a brief two-game homestand for USF ... Following this weekend's game the Bulls will get a week off to prepare for the Caribbean Classic in Cancun, Mexico ... While in Mexico, USF will face Oregon (Dec. 18) and Belmont (Dec. 19) ... The Bulls are 20-11 against teams from Florida since head coach Jose Fernandez took over prior to the 2000-01 season, 13-4 since 2003-04 and 12-1 since the 2004-05 campaign ... USF comes into the game with Florida A&M holding a 36-13 record against regular season non-conference opponents since the 2004-05 season and a 16-5 slate since the beginning of last season ... The Bulls are coming off a 75-68 victory over North Florida on Wednesday in the Sun Dome ... Jessica Lawson logged her second consecutive double-double with an 18-point, 10-rebound effort against the Lady Ospreys ... It was just her second non-20-point game in her last five outings ... Gianna Messina added 15 points and ChiChi Okpaleke chipped in with her own double-double scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds ... Shantia Grace rounded out the double-figure scorers with 13 points ... Grace continues to pace USF averaging 16.7 points and Lawson is netting 16 points per contest ... Jazmine Sepulveda is third on the team in scoring falling just under double figures averaging 9.1 points per game.
Scouting Florida A&M
Florida A&M comes into Sunday's game sporting a perfect 7-0 record and a 1-0 mark in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference ... The Rattlers are coming off a 66-57 win over Jacksonville in Tallahassee on Dec. 6.
The Rattlers have been led so far by Joslyne Jackson who is averaging 16 points per game ... She is one of four players in double figures for FAMU and is joined by Deidra Jones (14.4 ppg), Stephanie Foster (12.0 ppg) and Q'Vaunda Curry (10.4 ppg).
Denise Tate leads the Rattlers on the glass grabbing 9.3 rebounds per contest.
FAMU is coming off a 66-57 win over Jacksonville on Thursday night ... Joslyn Jackson poured in 25 points on a blistering 9-12 shooting from the field, including 2-2 from three-point range, and 5-8 from the free throw line ... Stephanie Foster scored 11 points, and both Denise Tate and Q'Vaunda Curry added double doubles with 11 points and 12 rebounds and 11 points and 10 rebounds respectively.
The Series vs. The Rattlers
Sunday's game with Florida A&M marks the 15th meeting all-time between USF and the Rattlers with FAMU holding a 10-4 all-time series lead, dating back to the 1972-73 season.
The two schools haven't met since Dec. 21, 2001 when USF defeated FAMU 89-66 in Tallahassee ... The Rattlers have won four of the last five meetings in the series.
USF vs. The Mid Eastern Athletic Conference
The Bulls are currently 13-12 all-time against teams from the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference
... Despite there being 25 games played against MEAC schools, USF has faced three of its members in its 35-year history - Bethune-Cookman (8-2), Coppin State (1-0) and Florida A&M (4-10).
USF opened the 2007-08 season defeating MEAC member Bethune-Cookman 84-49 on Nov, 13 ... Jessica Lawson and Jazmine Sepulveda both dropped in 16 points apiece in the win.
The Bulls final home game of the 2006-07 season came against MEAC foe Coppin State in the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament ... USF handed the Eagles a 66-49 setback on the heals of 24 points and eight rebounds from Jessica Dickson, and 14 points from Rachael
Sheats ... USF also used a 20-3 run over the final 11 minutes of action to put the game away.
The Last Time Out vs. FAMU
USF and Florida A&M last met on Dec. 21, 2001 when the Bulls handed the Rattlers an 89-66 setback ... Sonia Cotton led USF with 22 points and Tristen Webb added seven rebounds in the win.
The Last Time Out
USF won its fourth straight game with a 75-68 win over North Florida ... The win marked the Bulls' longest winning streak since taking the first seven games of the 2006-07 season.
USF's win over UNF raised its record against teams from the State of Florida - this season - to 4-0.
Jessica Lawson led four players in double figures with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds ... It marked her second straight double-double, her third of the season and the fourth of her career.
Gianna Messina poured in a career-high 15 points while Shantia Grace added 13 points in the win ... ChiChi Okpaleke recorded her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The Bulls were dismal once again from the free throw line hitting just 55.3 percent (21-38) of their shots from the charity stripe.
Up And Down With The Rock
So far this season USF has been extremely inconsistent with protecting the ball ... In the Bulls' first four games of the season they recorded 83 turnovers and didn't have fewer than 20 in any one game during that stretch ... Last year USF recorded 20 or more turnovers (25 vs. Jacksonville, Dec. 20) just once.
USF head coach Jose Fernandez has said that his ideal target was to keep turnovers to less than 14 per game and during a two-game stretch the Bulls seemed to right the ship ... Against Stetson and Florida International USF had recorded a combined 19 assists in the two games combined including a season-low eight against the Hatters.
The Bulls, however, seem to have lost their grip on the ball once again ... In the past two games - against Saint Peter's and North Florida - USF has recorded a combined 34 miscues including 19 against UNF on Dec. 5.
USF comes into Sunday's game logging 136 turnovers on the year in just eight games while it took the Bulls 11 games last season the record the same amount.
Shantia Grace Named To Weekly BIG EAST Honor Roll
Shantia Grace was named on Dec. 3 to the BIG EAST Conference women's basketball weekly honor roll for the week ending Dec. 2, 2007 ... It is the first such honor for a USF player this season ... Last week Grace averaged 23 points per game in helping the Bulls to a 2-0 record ... She also averaged four rebounds, four assists and three steals per outing in the two games ... She poured in a career-high 29 points including 20 points in the first half against in-state rival Florida International on Nov. 29 in Miami ... In doing so, she was 5-15 from the floor in the first stanza against the Golden Panthers and 7-8 from the charity stripe ... She also dished out a season-high six assists in the win ... Grace followed her career-high with a 17-point outing against the Peahens on Dec. 1 in 40 minutes of action.
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.
... And Florida International
The Bulls also found themselves on fire from behind the three-point arc on Nov. 29 against Florida International ... USF shot 50 percent (9-18) from three-point range, including a 53.3 percent clip (8-15) in the first half.
n USF's eight treys made against the Golden Panthers is tied for the 10th most in school history.
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 - what was then - 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 (23 pts.) 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.
On Dec. 1 against Saint Peter's, Lawson surpassed her previous career-high set against Illinois State on Nov. 18 ... Lawson poured in 25 points and 14 rebounds against the Peahens on Dec. 1 ... It was her third 20-point outing in her last four games.
With her 18-point outing on Dec. 5 against North Florida, Lawson has recorded four double-figure games in her last five games played ... During that stretch she is averaging 18.8 points in addition to 10 rebounds per contest.
Amazing Grace Is Back
Shantia Grace is back where she left off after the 2006-07 season concluded ... Grace leads the team in scoring averaging 16.7 points per game and leads the team in assists per game handing out 3.6.
Grace recorded a new career-high with 29 points, including 20 in the first half, against Florida International on Nov. 29 .. That surpassed her old mark of 26 points against FIU last year on Nov. 30, 2006.
Grace is the only player on the team to have scored in double figures in every game she has played in this year - seven ... Grace missed the New Hampshire game on Nov. 17 due to a coaches decision ... Coming into the Florida A&M game, Grace has netted double digits in the scoring column in her last seven games played and eight straight dating back to last year.
Grace also comes into the weekend just 85 points shy of reaching the 1,000-point plateau ... Should she do it, she would be the 16th player in school history to accomplish the feat.
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 handouts ... Her 25 assists so far this season has her in sixth place on the chart with 336 career handouts ... Grace is currently 29 assists shy of tying Anedra Gilmore (2003-05) and 30 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 Florida A&M game, Grant is third on the team in rebounding grabbing 6.4 per outing behind ChiChi Okpaleke who is hauling down 7.6 boards 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 has two career starts under her belt in back-to-back outings against Stetson on Nov. 20 and Florida International on Nov. 29.
Dalembert is the sister of current Philadelphia 76er Samuel Dalembert.
All That Jaz
Junior college transfer Jazmine Sepulveda has scored double figures in three of the team's seven games this season ... 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 ... She also had 13 points on Nov. 29 against Florida International.
Sepulveda is currently second on the team in assists with handing out 3.4 per game but leads slightly in total assists with 27 (just ahead of Shantia Grace with 25) ... The Brooklyn, NY, native dished out a season and career-high six in the season opener against Bethune-Cookman and fell just one handout short of that with five, twice, against FIU and North Florida.
Sepulveda hasn't only shot and distributed the ball effectively but has hit the glass as well ... She is currently averaging 4.6 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 her last five games - including the game when she grabbed 10 rebounds - Sepulveda is averaging 5.4 boards per contest almost a full rebound more than her season average.
Although 10 of the 11 players on USF's roster have gotten the starting nod this year, Sepulveda is the only player to start in all seven 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 ... She also got the starting nod on Nov. 29 at Florida International.
Gianna Picking It Up
Although she is just averaging 3.4 points per game, Gianna Messina has been extremely solid for the Bulls off the bench ... The Tampa native scored a, then-career-high eight points - in 12 minutes - on 3-4 shooting from the field and 2-3 from behind the three-point arc at Florida International on Nov. 29 in Miami.
The following game against Saint Peter's, Messina teetered on the verge of a double-double without scoring a basket ... She would establish two new career highs with nine rebounds and eight assists in the win over the Peahens.
Messina, offensively, had her best collegiate game of her career against North Florida on Dec. 5 ... She poured in a career-best 15 points on 4-10 (40 percent) shooting from the field including 3-6 (50 percent) from behind the three-point arc ... Messina also logged three assists and a steal in a career-high 33 minutes of action.
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 106-109 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 81-52 (60.9 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.
n 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 46-9 (83.6 percent) overall record and a 28-4 (87.5 percent) mark in non-conference games on their home turf dating back to the 2004-05 season ... In addition, USF is 50-9 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 four-plus years, and 32-7 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 18-5 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 play maker 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.
