Tampa, FL (February 3, 2007) - The University of South Florida women's basketball team pulled away from St. John's in the second half of the BIG EAST match up to beat the Red Storm 74-61 Saturday afternoon in the Sun Dome.
The Bulls extend their record to 17-5 overall, 7-2 in the conference, while the Red Storm drops to 7-13 (3-6 BIG EAST).
Senior All-America and National Player of the Year candidate Jessica Dickson (Ocala, FL) scored four unanswered points to begin the game, but the Red Storm hung around with the Bulls throughout the first half, never allowing USF to take more than a six-point lead.
Down by four with 10 minutes left in the first period, junior forward ChiChi Okpaleke (Tampa, FL) drained two buckets to tie the game, and a lay-up by senior guard Tristen Webb (Stone Mountain, GA) put the Bulls ahead by two.
The Red Storm took the lead back, but a free throw by Okpaleke with five seconds remaining in the half allowed USF to go into the intermission with a 32-31 lead.
For the first nine minutes of the second stanza the Bulls battled with the Red Storm, but at 11:13 Dickson hit a lay-up to put the Bulls ahead 53-46, and ignite the team to the win.
The Bulls proceeded to score 15 points in the next five minutes, extending the lead to 17 and putting the game away for good.
After playing just three minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, sophomore guard Shantia Grace (Sarasota, FL) sparked the Bulls throughout the second period, scoring 13 points, dishing four assists, making three steals and grabbing three boards.
USF blazed the net in the contest, hitting 43.3 percent (13-30) in the first half and 17-36 (47.2 percent) in the second.
The Bulls out rebounded the Red Storm 44-28 and forced St. John's into 17 turnovers while committing 13.
Dickson led all scorers with 28 points, shooting 12-24 overall and a perfect 4-4 from the line. She also had eight rebounds.
Senior forward Nalini Miller (Capital Heights, MD) recorded her fifth double-double of the season, her fourth in the last six games, with 12 rebounds and a dozen points, hitting 6-9 from the field. She also had five blocks and four steals.
Okpaleke had 10 points and nine rebounds while Webb dished six assists and had four points.
The Bulls next travel to Chicago Feb. 6 to play DePaul at 8 p.m. (ET), then return to the Sun Dome Feb. 10 to play Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. Both games can be heard live on 860-AM WGUL with Tom Krasniqi handling the play-by-play.
USF vs. St. John's Postgame Notes
- USF's win over St. John's improves the Bulls overall record to 17-5 and 7-2 in the BIG EAST ... USF's overall start in the best 22-game start in school history while its record in league play marks the best conference start ever.
- The win was USF's third straight and fifth in its last six.
- USF extends its home conference winning streak to seven games dating back to last year ... In addition, the Bulls are 11-2 in BIG EAST Games at home since joining the conference and 24-4 in the Sun Dome since the beginning of the 2005-06 season.
- The Bulls' win over the Red Storm is the first ever in the two-game series.
- USF shot 45.5 percent (30-66) from the field in the win ... It was the third-straight game that the Bulls have hit better than 40 percent from the floor after shooting 39 percent or less in the previous four games.
- All-America and National Player of the Year candidate Jessica Dickson became school's all-time leader in career games played with 114 out of a possible 114 collegiate games ... She surpassed former Bull Alana Tanksley (2001-05) who previously held the mar of 113.
- Dickson was one of four players in double figures scoring 28 points ... It was the second straight game that she has netted 20 or more points ... It was Dickson's 52nd 20-plus point outing out of 106 double-figure games.
- Shantia Grace scored 13 points with all coming in the second half ... She missed the final 17 minutes of the first half due to foul trouble.
- Nalini Miller continues her impressive play of late with a 12-point, 12 rebound outing ... It was the fifth double-double of the season ? and the fourth in her last six games ? and the 17th of her career.
- Miller also logged five blocked shots on the night which is the second time in the past three games that she has rejected five or more shots and the 10th time this year that she has recorded multiple blocks in a game.
- ChiChi Okpaleke's 10 points is her second-straight double-figure scoring outing and the third in her last five games.
