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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, DEC. 7, 2014 – USF took a five-point lead into halftime but couldn't end a perfect run by St. John's in a 55-52 loss Sunday afternoon before a crowd of 1,648 at the Sun Dome.
In a battle of two teams receiving top-25 votes, St. John's (7-0) fought off USF's late rally and got a game-high 25 points from Aliyyah Handford. Danaejah Grant added 17 points while the Red Storm took advantage of 17 USF turnovers.
“Danaejah Grant and Aliyyah Handford carried their team,” head coach Jose Fernandez said. “When they needed a basket either one of those (players) got them a basket. We didn't do that on our end, which is disappointing.”
Courtney Williams (Folkston, Ga.) led the Bulls (6-3) with 15 points and 12 rebounds in her 18th consecutive game in double figures. The junior from Folkston, Ga., made history in the process by becoming the 21st Bull to pass the 1,000-point mark.
“I'm grateful obviously, but I wish we would have won. I'm more concerned about losing than reaching 1,000 points,” Williams said.
Joining Williams in double figures was freshman guard/forward Laura Ferreira (Portugal), who scored a career-high 14 points and added four rebounds.
“Ferreira came out of her shell a little bit and was a little bit more aggressive offensively,” Fernandez said.
Ferreira and USF headed into halftime ahead, 28-23, thanks to a solid effort on defense and a late burst on offense.
St. John's took 21-16 lead while USF went on a scoring drought for nearly 10 minutes before the Bulls bounced from long range. Shalethia Stringfield's 3-pointer put USF back ahead and another 3-pointer from Ferreira spotted the Bulls a 26-21 lead with less than 2 minutes remaining. Ferreira headed into the break with nine points after beating the buzzer with a jumper.
Williams moved closer to the 1,000-point milestone with nine points and seven rebounds in a first half that saw the Bulls get tough on defense. St. John's shot 27 percent from the field (10-for-37) while USF racked up five blocks with a pair coming from Alisia Jenkins.
Stringfield's layup 21 seconds into the second half gave the Bulls a seven-point lead but it was St. John's in control past the midway point. Free throws by Handford gave St. John's a 43-41 advantage with 9:10 to play and the Red Storm withstood a furious comeback attempt by the Bulls in the final 3 minutes.
Ferreira's second 3-pointer of the game cut the deficit to 51-50 with 2:46 to play, but St. John's responded with a jumper by Handford and free throws by Aaliyah Lewis with 34 seconds remaining. Ferreira's layup made it a three-point game with 19 seconds remaining and a rebound off a missed free throw attempt gave the Bulls the ball for the final play. Williams eventually found a clean look at the basket from long range but her last-second shot at a tie bounced off the back rim.
Eight turnovers in the second half hampered the Bulls while they went 7-for-24 from the field (29 percent) after the break.
“They were just tougher; to be honest with you that's what it was. I was disappointed that our (players) didn't respond to that,” Fernandez said.
Despite the loss, USF finished with a 49-43 rebounding advantage as Jenkins got her hands on a season-high 14 boards. Nine of Williams' 12 rebounds came on the defensive end.
USF returns to action Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m., when the Bulls host College of Charleston in the second half of a four-game home stand. The Bulls finish up their Sun Dome stay Wednesday, Dec. 17 against Northern Colorado. Purchase tickets HERE.
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