Williams, Bulls Handle Houston, 71-53
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, JAN. 29, 2014 – USF started on a 15-2 run and never looked back in a 71-53 victory over Houston before a crowd of 1,189 at the Sun Dome on Wednesday night.
USF (11-9, 6-3) finished with four players in double figures while 15 different Bulls logged in game action. A total of six different Bulls scored during the opening run that really set the tone for USF's third win in its past four games.
"I think we just jumped on them early. Coach told us to come out and make them not want to play anymore and that's what we tried to do," said sophomore
Courtney Williams, who posted her fourth double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bulls also got a monster performance from sophomore forward
Alisia Jenkins, who registered her ninth double-double of the season with 10 points and 16 rebounds. USF dominated the glass by a 54-27 margin with five players grabbing at least four boards apiece.
"
Alisia Jenkins' motor was phenomenal," head coach
Jose Fernandez said.
Freshman
Ariadna Pujol provided a nice boost off the bench with 12 points and senior
Inga Orekhova posted 10 points, five assists and four rebounds in 19 minutes. Sophomore point guard
Shalethia Stringfield collected a game-high six assists to help the Bulls improve to 7-5 at home. The Bulls are 6-1 this season when
Stringfield posts four or more assists.
Williams recorded her seventh 20-plus point game of the season and she was more than halfway there with 14 points in the first half before the Bulls headed into the break with a 38-25 lead.
"My teammates are getting me the ball," Williams said. "
Stringfield had six assists, Williams is relentless on the glass and we were just running."
Orekhova scored all of her 10 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half and USF stayed well ahead while getting points from nine different players on the way to completing a season sweep of Houston. The Bulls started the series with a 77-54 win over the Cougars in Texas on New Year's Eve.
Houston (4-16, 0-9) got 14 points each from Marche' Anderson and
Demetria Foreman, and nine rebounds from
Yasmeen Thompson in the Cougars' ninth consecutive loss.
USF looks to even its season series with No. 5 Louisville when the programs face off 2 p.m. Sunday in Kentucky. The Bulls stay on the road to take on Memphis on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. before returning to the Sun Dome to host in-state rival UCFÂ on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. Purchase tickets
HERE and stay updated on the Bulls all season long by following the team on Twitter @USFWBB.
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