| |
|
|
 |
| |
|
2 |
|
|
|
Jacksonville
|
36 |
41 |
- |
77 |
| USF |
31 |
51 |
- |
82 |
| Scoring Leaders |
| Player |
FG-A
|
3FG-A
|
FT-A
|
TP
|
| Jacksonville - Bell |
9-15 |
1-2 |
2-6 |
21 |
| USF - Andrea Smith |
10-29 |
1-9 |
0-1 |
21 |
| Rebounding Leaders |
| Player |
|
|
|
| Jacksonville - Paschal |
2 |
10 |
12 |
| USF -McDonald/Andrea Smith |
5/3 |
3/5 |
8 |
| Misc. Leaders |
| Team |
Steals
|
Assists
|
Blocks
|
| Jacksonville |
George-3 |
George-7 |
Scott-1 |
| USF |
Wynne-4 |
Saunders-7 |
McDonald-2 |
|
|
|
TAMPA - The University of South Florida women's basketball team overcame a cold start in the first half of its season opener against Jacksonville Friday night to pull away in the second half for a 82-77 win over the Dolphins.
The Bulls (1-0) shot just 32.7 percent (12-37) in the first stanza while Jacksonville (0-1) hit 40.6 percent (13-32) of its shots from the field en route to a 36-31 lead at the half.
USF, however, came out hot in the second stanza and took its first lead of the game, 40-38, when Kaneisha Saunders drove the length of the court for a layup with 17:39 left.
After both teams exchanged baskets for the next two-and-a-half minutes, Jacksonville would tie the game for the final time at 46-all when Jessica George hit a three-point shot with 14:57 left in the contest.
That would be as close as the Dolphins would get as the Bulls used a 21-6 run, starting with a jumper by Andrea Smith with 14:23 left on the clock and ending with Salla Ekstrom's first career basket with 7:23 left, giving USF a 15-point lead - it's biggest of the game - at 67-52.
Jacksonville would eventually put together its own 9-0 run to cut the lead to four with 47 seconds left, however the Dolphins would not get any closer as the Bulls hit four of their six free throws down the stretch to pull out the victory.
Andrea Smith, the 2010 National Junior College Player of the Year, led the way for the Bulls with 21 points and eight rebounds in 38 minutes of play.
Saunders would finish with 18 points and tied a career-high with seven assists, and Daleisha Carn added 16 points and five rebounds in the victory.
Akila McDonald chipped in with seven points and shared team-high rebounding honors with eight boards, with Smith, in her collegiate debut.
Crystal Bell led the way for Jacksonville with 21 points.
The Bulls will have a quick turnaround as they travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to face Middle Tennessee State on Sunday at 1 p.m. USF will then return home on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. to butt heads with another in-state foe, Stetson.
Postgame Notes
Team
- USF is now 24-15 all-time in its 39 season openers ... In addition; the Bulls are 10-3 in lid lifters over the past 13, 14-4 over the past 18 and 17-6 in the first game of the season during the past 23.
- The Bulls shot just 3.4 percent (12-37) from the field in the first half, however turned around in the second and shot 51.4 percent (19-37) from the floor.
Individual
- USF head coach Jose Fernandez is 8-2 all-time in season openers since his first year in 2000-01 (Last year's loss to Florida A&M is not credited to Fernandez due him being hospitalized).
- Fernandez, improves his record in the month of November to 45-12 and a 28-5 record in November over the past five years.
- Four players, junior transfer Daleisha Carn, sophomores - and twin sisters - Andrea and Andrell Smith, and freshman Akila McDonald all earned their first career starts tonight for the Bulls.
- Andrea Smith would hit the first field goal of the season with 17:51 left in the first half, then sister Andrell followed that up less than 30 seconds later with a 16-footer.
- Jasmine Wynne recorded a game-high four steals falling one shy of tying her career-high.
- Andrell Smith dished out four assists to go along with her five points and five rebounds in 21 minutes.
