University of South Florida
Northern Arizona
Bulls Win Sixth Straight With 82-43 Victory Over Northern Arizona
December 20, 2008 | Women's Basketball
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TAMPA, Fla. ? The University of South Florida women's basketball team played its second game in three days, and it's second of three games in a four-day stretch this afternoon, so you'll have to excuse them if it came out a bit sluggish after its record setting 126-62 performance on Thursday against Grambling. Unfortunately, for Northern Arizona, USF was still good enough to defeat the Lumberjacks, 82-43, in a non-conference game at the Sun Dome.
“I thought we played uninspired basketball today,” said Bulls' head coach Jose Fernandez. “I can't put my finger on it, but we just seemed to be going through the motions. We had 18 turnovers today, and of the 18, nine came from our post players. We just can't have that. We need to protect the basketball. We need to come out tomorrow afternoon against Southern and play well.”
USF will end its three-game in four-day stretch against the Jaguars tomorrow afternoon in the Sun Dome at 2 p.m.
Despite the Bulls handing 13 of their 18 miscues over to NAU in the first half, USF forced Northern Arizona (3-9) into 18 miscues in the first stanza which led to 18 of its 45 first half points.
The Bulls dominated the first 20 minutes finding themselves up by 20 points, 26-6, with 10:02 left on a Jazmine Sepulveda lay-up off a Jasmine Wynne steal.
USF took a 45-19 lead into the locker room at the break after shooting 42.1 percent (16-38) from the field and holding the Lumberjacks to 25 percent (8-32) from the floor.
Northern Arizona's 19 points marked the third time this season that a Bulls' opponent was held to less than 20 points in a half.
The second half proved to be not much better for the Lumberjacks as they were held scoreless for the first five 5:09 before Simone Holmes hit a three to make the score 55-22.
USF would extend its lead to as many as 41 points in the second half when Janae Stokes scored two of her 13 points on a jumper with 7:15 remaining. The Bulls would equal that margin one more time prior to the final buzzer.
The Lumberjacks would finish the game with 35 turnovers leading to 38 points and shot 30.5 percent from the field, including a dismal 11.1 percent (2-18) from behind the three-point arc, in the loss.
USF finished shooting 40.3 percent (31-77) from the field and 44.4 percent (4-9) from behind the arc.
Sepulveda led the Bulls with 17 points while Stokes had her 13 and Shantia Grace chipped in with 10 points.
Porche Grant tied her career-high for rebounds with 15, including a hard?earned 10 offensive boards. Her 10 on the offensive glass is tied for the seventh most offensive rebounds in a game in school history.
Brittany Denson also got back into her shot blocking groove that she was in while in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Denson rejected a game-high five shots on the year.
USF Postgame Notes
? With today's win, USF improves its overall record to 10-1 marking just the third time in school history that the Bulls have won 10 games in its first 11 outings.
? Head coach Jose Fernandez is now just two wins shy of becoming USF basketball's all-time leader in career wins ? men's or women's ... Fernandez's career record is now 126-124 in 250 games over eight-plus seasons ... Should the Bulls defeat Southern University tomorrow, Fernandez will tie former men's coach Bobby Paschal who finished his career with 127 wins in 10 seasons (286 games).
? After starting the season outrebounding its opponent in the first four games of the year - and then being beaten on the boards in the next five games - USF has gotten back into the swing of things on the boards outrebounding its foe for the second straight game ... The Bulls pulled down 51 rebounds today to 43 for NAU ... It was just the fourth time this year that they have grabbed 50 or more rebounds.
? USF has forced its opposition into 30 or more turnovers in six games this season, including in three of the last four, and 20 or more in 10 of 11 outings.
? Jazmine Sepulveda recorded six steals against Northern Arizona ... It was the fourth time this season that she logged five or more thefts, and the third time in the past four games that she recorded six or more.
? Porche Grant's 15 rebounds mark the second straight game that she has recorded double-digit rebounds and the third time this year.
? Walk-ons Crystal Ayers and Erin Moody each saw action in their second consecutive game for the Bulls with Ayers recording her first career steals for USF.
