University of South Florida
North Carolina Central
Bulls Too Much For NC Central, Cruise 79-37
December 19, 2009 | Women's Basketball
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TAMPA - The University of South Florida women's basketball team looked like it was suffering the hangover effects from its disappointing loss to Tulane on Thursday night.
USF, however, shook the cobwebs out its head and pulled away for a commanding 79-37 win over North Carolina Central (NCCU) in the first round of the USF Shootout at the Sun Dome on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulls (8-3) will now face East Carolina in the championship game at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Pirates were 103-59 winners over Houston Baptist in the day's first game.
USF got off to a slow start in the first half against the Eagles (0-9) allowing North Carolina Central to take a three-point lead, 8-5 on a three-point shot by Danielle DeBerry with 16:17 left in the first half. That would be the largest lead the Eagles would enjoy.
After back-and-forth play for the next 12 minutes, the Bulls would take their biggest lead of the game - up to that point - when Jessica Lawson hit a lay-up with 4:52 left in the half to make the score 20-16.
USF would then blow the game wide open closing the first half on a 20-1 run and taking a 40-17 lead into the locker room at the break. During that 4:20 stretch to end the first half, Sequoyah Griffin led the Bulls' attack scoring 12 of her 16 points and hitting all four of her three-point shots during that time span. The Bulls also wreaked havoc on the defensive end of the floor holding NCCU without a field goal for the final 9:45 of the first half.
Unlike its showing last Thursday against Tulane, USF did not take its foot off the pedal. The Bulls came out in the second stanza and upped its lead to 30 points, 51-21, on a three-pointer by Allyson Speed with 14:41 left in the game.
The Bulls then extended its margin to 40 points, 61-21, on another Speed trey - her second and final one of the game - with 11:24 left in the contest. That would be USF's largest margin of the game until final buzzer.
On the afternoon, the Bulls shot 41.2 percent (28-68) from the field for the game while holding the Eagles to just 28.9 percent (13-45) from the floor.
USF defense also made a considerable contribution to the offensive effort. The Bulls forced North Carolina Central into 30 turnovers on the afternoon which led to 40 points for USF.
In addition, the Bulls also dominated the paint outscoring the Eagles 32-16, and the boards outrebounding NCCU 52-28, including 26-9 on the offensive glass. USF's 26 offensive rebounds would spearhead a commanding 20-2 margin in second chance points.
The Bulls had a very balanced attack against the Eagles with every player on their roster scoring, while just one player - Melissa Dalembert - logged 25 minutes.
Dalembert and Griffin would pace the way for USF with 16 points apiece while KaNeisha Saunders added nine points in the win.
Dalembert would also add a career-high 15 rebounds in the win marking her second double-double of the season and the fourth of her career.
For ticket information contact 1-800-GoBulls.
USF vs. North Carolina Central Game Notes
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009
USF Sun Dome, Tampa, Fla.
Team Notes
- USF's 79-37 win over North Carolina Central was its seventh in its last eight games.
- The Bulls' victory over the Eagles improved their record in the USF Shootout to 14-1 all-time ... The lone setback was a 57-59 loss to Eastern Michigan.
Individual Notes
- Melissa Dalembert's 15 recounds was a career-high surpassing the 12 she grabbed three times (last was Dec. 4, 2009 vs. Washington).
- Tiffany Connor scored a career-high seven points in the win.
