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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, JAN. 14, 2015 – Courtney Williams posted 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Tamara Taylor tied her career high with six 3-pointers to help No. 25 USF roll past SMU, 82-59, Wednesday night at the Sun Dome.
With eight straight wins, USF (14-3, 5-0) is one more away from tying program's top streak after hitting 11 3-pointers against the Mustangs (4-12, 0-5). Taylor finished with 18 points while Alisia Jenkins posted her 11th double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds as USF improved to 7-1 at home without the help of its two top point guards.
Spanning back to the start of the 2013-14 season, USF is 23-0 when scoring more than 70 points and got it done against SMU essentially without its top two points guards. Laura Marcos Canedo (nine starts) sat out while resting a nagging injury and Shalethia Stringfield (six starts) ran the offense well in just 6 minutes of action. The Bulls outscored SMU by 13 with Stringfield on the floor.
“We wanted to save Stringfield and Canedo,” head coach Jose Fernandez said. “Stringfield had an injection on Monday and Canedo is still hurting from straining her knee at Tulane.”
Aside from standout efforts, another reason why USF posted another blowout win was because of its trademark brand of tough defense. SMU became the 12th USF opponent to shoot under 35 percent this season and turned the ball over 18 times.
Williams, Jenkins and the Bulls also did a solid job on the glass by outrebounding SMU, 57-38, with 35 boards on the defensive end. USF came in ranking second in the nation with 32 defensive rebounds per game behind Baylor.
Led by Williams' 19 points, USF headed into halftime ahead, 36-28, after heating up down the stretch. The Bulls started 6-for-19 from the field before grabbing the lead with a 3-pointer from freshman Laura Ferreira nearly 10 minutes in. Williams capped off a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer that gave the Bulls a 17-11 advantage with 7:29 to play.
Williams, the team's leader scoring, powered the offense by making seven of USF's 13 field goals in the first half with six rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
“She shot well from the floor and she did a good job of taking care of the ball,” said Fernandez of Williams, who ended the half with a buzzer-beating jumper.
USF knocked down four 3-pointers in the opening period and seized control of the game by hitting four more in the first 9 minutes of the second half. Taylor accounted for three from long range and a layup by Williams extended the lead to 58-39 with 10:35 to play.
“They were giving me the open look and my teammates were finding me in transition,” said Taylor, who put the exclamation mark on the win with two 3-pointers in the final 1 minute, 6 seconds of action.
The Bulls look to tie the program record of nine consecutive wins when they take on No. 2 UConn 1 p.m. Sunday in Storrs, Conn. (TV: ESPN2).
“We got picked second in the league. We've done what we're supposed to and our kids are going to have a great opportunity on Sunday,” Fernandez said.
USF plays at Houston on Wednesday, Jan. 21 before returning to the Sun Dome to host Tulane on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 4 p.m. Purchase tickets HERE.
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