TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -
Shantia Grace scored a career-high 35 points, leading the University of South Florida women's basketball team past No. 25/25 DePaul 78-73 on Tuesday night at the Sun Dome.
Jazmine Sepulveda had 22 points for USF (12-10, 2-7 BIG EAST), which won for the second time in the last 10 games. It was the Bulls first victory over a ranked opponent since a 74-58 win over No. 15/15 Louisville on Jan. 16, 2007, a game which was also played in the Sun Dome.
The Blue Demons (16-6, 5-4 BIG EAST) got 36 points from Allie Quigley, one short of her career-high set on Dec. 7, 2006, against Rutgers. It was the 100th double-digit career scoring performance for the senior guard.
Sepulveda had five points, including a three-pointer, and Grace had a basket and two free throws as USF outscored DePaul 9-5 to take a 76-70 lead with 2:20 left.
The Blue Demons scored just three points over the final two minutes. DePaul shot 36.6 percent for the game.
Sepulveda had 12 points as the Bulls, which led by as many as 10, took a 37-34 lead at halftime. Quigley, who entered averaging 18.1 points, helped keep DePaul close by scoring 15 during the opening 20 minutes.
The Bulls finally found their offensive touch shooting 47.5 percent from the field for the night. It was there best shooting performance from the floor since hitting 57.4 percent against Yale on Dec. 30 earlier this season.
In addition to Grace and Sepulveda's offensive performancesa tonight, Melissa Dalembert and Porche Grant hit the glass hard grabbing 11 and 10 rebounds respectively in the win.
USF finally got over the hump against a Top 25 team in the Sun Dome. The Bulls had a close call earlier this season against No. 17/16 West Virginia dropping a heartbreaking 79-73 decision to the Mountaineers.
USF will now hit the road when it heads to Ohio to face Cincinnati on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. The game will be televised locally in the Tampa Bay area on Catch 47 as part of the BIG EAST Conference Game of the Week package. In addition the game can also be heard on 1010 Sports WQYK-AM with Garrett Walvoord calling the action.
Post Game Notes:
- The win over DePaul ends USF's three-game losing streak dating back to Jan. 26 vs. Marquette.
- The Bulls also ended a four-game home losing streak.
- USF won its 12th game of the season when leading at the half.
- The Bulls, who have struggled of late, used their 14 different line-up of the season.
- Shantia Grace's 35-point effort equals the sixt- best in school history and is the best since Jessica Dickson poured in 35 against the Blue Demons on Dec. 7, 2007.
- Melissa Dalembert recorded her second straight double-figure outing on the boards and the third of her career.
- Although DePaul leads the all-time series against the Bulls 10-5 following USF's win tonight, the Bulls have won two of the last three, with both victories coming by a total of seven points.
- USF hit 10 three-pointers on the night marking the fourth time this season that it accomplised the feat ... Prior to this season the Bulls have recorded multiple game of double-digit three-pointers made in just one season, the 2002-03 campaign when they did it twice.
USF Sports Information contributed to this story
