By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
LUBBOCK, Texas – Tiffany Conner remembers her first college experience like it was yesterday.
USF's senior forward moved all the way down to Tampa from Teaneck, N.J., which was fun for her but not for her traveling partner.
“I was moving into my apartment to Florida with my mom crying and saying, 'You're so far away from home,'” Conner said.
Edith Conner hasn't had to worry much about her daughter, however, because she gets to watch her quite a bit on TV. So much that you could almost say Conner never really left home because Monday will mark the 125th time she's played in a game as a Bull when USF takes on Cal in the second round of the NCAA tournament. As soon as Conner checks in, she'll tie Jessica Dickson for second place in USF's history books.
“It's been fast but it's been great,” she said.
So fast that Conner didn't realize how many games she's been a part of until she was told during the Bulls' trip to Texas.
“It's amazing playing a hundred and whatever it is college games with USF at one school. Not a lot of people do that,” she said with a smile.
Conner made mom proud Saturday night when she scored five points and grabbed six rebounds to help the Bulls stun Texas Tech, 71-70, and continue their stay at United Spirit Arena. It was another solid performance from a player that is now one step closer to achieving a goal she established when signing with the Bulls as early as she could in high school.
“I wanted to be involved in the competition the Bulls go against in the Big East and I wanted to help them go to a national championship and just be a part of it,” she said. “This is an honor. I love being here playing with my teammates.”
Staying Hungry
The Bulls made program history Saturday night by winning their first-ever NCAA tournament game and they don't plan on seeing the fun stopping anytime soon.
“We are not satisfied with winning one game. I mean yeah it was a goal winning the game, but now we have to go to the next stop and beat Cal,” junior guard Inga Orekhova said.
Orekhova played a huge role in the Bulls historic win by scoring 20 points and hitting the game-tying 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining. Orekhova tied a season high with five 3-pointers but didn't think much of it on Sunday when the Bulls were back on the practice court.
“We celebrated (the win) but at the end of the day we have to stay humble and prepare for Cal the same way we prepared for Texas Tech,” she said.
Bulls Have Cal Coach's Respect
Cal head coach Lindsay Gottlieb admitted she's kept an eye on USF throughout the season and gave the Bulls a glowing review during Sunday's press conference.
“They are a team that definitely feels like a top 25 team,” she said. “I know they may not have gotten there in the polls, but they clearly belong… You can't overlook them because they make big plays. They are a terrific team and we will have our hands full.”
