Morgantown, WV (February 17, 2007) ? The University of South Florida women's basketball team looked to win its second straight road game Saturday, however, was going to have to get past one obstacle ? a West Virginia women's basketball team who boasted an impressive 11-1 record coming into the contest in Morgantown.
The Bulls would find themselves being the Mountaineers' 12th victims at the WVU Coliseum falling 73-64. The loss drops USF's record to 18-8 overall and 8-5 in the BIG EAST. It is also the third setback in the past four games.
The first half found both teams pretty much even with neither team leading by more than five points through the first six-plus minutes.
West Virginia (17-9, 8-5 BIG EAST), however, would use a 9-4 run to take its biggest lead of the half, 23-14, on a lay-up by Ashley Powell with 9:28 left in the half.
All-America and National Player of the Year candidate Jessica Dickson (Ocala, FL) would then score five of her 16 first half points on the next two possessions to cut the lead to four, 23-19, with 7:30 left.
The Bulls, would then close out the half on an 11-4 run to take a 31-27 lead into the locker room at the intermission.
Although the Mountaineers would shoot 40.7 percent (11-27) from the field and USF just 35.7 percent (10-28), the Bulls forced WVU into seven turnovers which led to 10 first half points.
In the second half, West Virginia came out of the gate fast hitting 75 percent (9-12) of its shots through the first 8:13 of the second half.
The Mountaineers would extend its lead to nine points, 53-44, with 11:01 left before USF would use its own 7-0 run to cut the lead to two points, 53-51, on a rebound and lay-up by Nalini Miller (Capital Heights, MD) with 9:32 left in the game.
The Bulls would never get closer as West Virginia would extend its lead back to double figures, 67-57, with 2:16 on a three-point shot by Sparkle Davis to put the game away for good.
Dickson would record her third straight double-double finishing with 28 points and 10 rebounds and Rachael Sheats (Marietta, GA) would tally 16 points.
USF will be back in action at home in the Sun Dome on Feb. 20 when it faces No. 5/4 Connecticut. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
The game can be heard live in the Tampa Bay area on 860-AM WGUL with Tom Krasniqi handling the play-by-play.
