August 18, 2015: USF Men's Basketball 84, CB VIC 75
Held at the gymnasium called Pavello Esportiu Municipal in Sant Julia de Vilatorta, Spain which is just over an hour outside of Barcelona.
In its fourth and final game of a 10-day foreign tour, the USF's men's basketball team came back from 22 points down to win 84-75 in overtime over CB VIC on Tuesday in Spain.
The Bulls trailed by their largest margin of the game, 47-25, late in the first half and 59-44 at the end of the third quarter. USF however gained momentum in the third quarter and shined in the fourth quarter, outscoring CB VIC 25-4.
Trailing 67-63 with 42.9 seconds to play, Jahmal McMurray (Topeka, Kan.) hit a 3-pointer in front of the USF bench. USF trailed 69-66 with 3.9 seconds remaining when the freshman guard stepped up again in the clutch, making a 3-pointer along the baseline to tie the game with nearly no time on the clock.
The Bulls took their first lead of the game 30 seconds into overtime with two free throws by Roddy Peters (District Heights, Md.) to make it 71-69. USF never trailed again, outscoring CB VIC 15-6 in the extra period.
Senior Jaleel Cousins (Mobile, Ala.) was rewarded for his aggressive play and hustle throughout the game with 19 points and 15 rebounds, including 10 offensive, for his second consecutive double-double. Sophomore Chris Perry (Bartow, Fla.) kept the Bulls within striking distance by scoring 14 of his 17 points in the first half. He added 14 rebounds for a double-double.
Peters finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists. McMurray had 12 points. Senior Nehemias Morillo (Dominican Republic) joined in the double-figure scoring with 10 points and added seven rebounds.
USF shot 44 percent from the field and outrebounded CB VIC 60-44.
USF finished its foreign tour with a 2-2 record.
August 18, 2015: USF Women's Basketball 91, CB SANT ADRIA 43
Held at the gymnasium called Pavello Esportiu Municipal in Sant Julia de Vilatorta, Spain which is just over an hour outside of Barcelona.
Freshman Kitija Laksa continued to impress in the final game of USF's Spain trip, shooting a perfect 4-4 from beyond three-point range en route to her second 20 point game as the Bulls drove past CB SANT ADRIA, 91-43 Tuesday.
Laksa joined senior guard Courtney Williams at the top of the scoring column as the duo each dropped 20 points, including a combined 25 points during the Bulls' 30-3 run late in the first quarter and into the second.
With USF down 13-8 early, Williams caught fire for the Bulls, scoring 12 straight points to put USF on top for good. Laksa added fuel to the fire, piling on 11 quick points, including three 3-pointers, helping the Bulls to a 42-18 halftime lead.
USF cruised through the second half, playing 12 and getting scoring contributions from 10 to end the Spain trip a perfect 4-0.
Williams registered a double-double, adding 10 rebounds to her 20 points in just 20 minutes played, while fellow senior Alisia Jenkins posted nine points and led the Bulls with 12 rebounds. Sophomore Maria Jespersen continued her strong play, dropping 11 points and adding seven rebounds , while sophomore Laura Ferreira and senior Shalethia Stringfield each recorded another very balanced game. Ferreira scored seven points, adding four rebounds and five assists, while Stringfield grabbed five points, five rebounds and five assists in the win.
Senior guard Micah Kroll scored the final eight points for USF, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers to become the team's fifth-leading scorer in the game.
August 15, 2015: USF Men's Basketball 83, CB VIC 63
Held at the gymnasium called Pavello Esportiu Municipal in Sant Julia de Vilatorta, Spain which is just over an hour outside of Barcelona.
In its third of four games on a 10-day foreign tour, USF's men's basketball team picked up an 83-63 win over CB VIC on Saturday in Spain.
The Bulls, or Los Toros as it said on their jerseys specially made for the trip to Spain, were led by senior Jaleel Cousins (Mobile, Ala.) who scored 14 points and had 16 rebounds.
USF also got a big effort from their newcomer guards. Sophomore Roddy Peters (District Heights, Md.) scored a team-high 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting while freshman Jahmal McMurray (Topeka, Kan.) scored 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field.
USF bolted out to an 11-3 lead before CB VIC responded with 13 unanswered points. The Bulls retook the lead before the end of the first quarter with an alley-oop from Peters to Bo Zeigler (Detroit). That dunk, one of many in the game, made it 19-18 and the Bulls never trailed again in the game.
USF shot 54.4 percent from the field while holding CB VIC to 41.2 percent. The Bulls pounded the glass and outrebounded their opponent 39-27.
USF will next compete on Tuesday at 8 p.m. local/2 p.m. Eastern against the same club, CB Vic, but a different roster of players.
August 15, 2015: USF Women's Basketball 83, CB VIC 62
Held at the gymnasium called Pavello Esportiu Municipal in Sant Julia de Vilatorta, Spain which is just over an hour outside of Barcelona.
The USF women's basketball team continued to cruise in Spain Saturday, leading by as many as 29 points in an 83-62 win over CB VIC in the Bulls' first game since arriving in Barcelona.
Senior guard Courtney Williams shot over 60 percent from the field, including three 3-pointers to knock down a game-high 25 points as one of four Bulls to reach double figures in scoring. The 2014-15 Wade Trophy Finalist proved to be an early-game catalyst for USF, dropping nine quick points in the first quarter to help the Bulls to a 22-14 lead after 10 minutes.
A 10-0 run to start the second quarter extended the lead, providing USF a comfortable second half as the Bulls secured their third consecutive win in Spain. Senior forward Alisia Jenkins secured her first double-double of the trip, combining 12 rebounds with 15 points, while freshman forward Kitija Laksa had another solid game, dropping 11 points.
Portuguese sophomore forward Laura Ferreira played well in front of her family and friends, scoring 11 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the win.
August 12, 2015: Angola National Team 90, USF Men's Basketball 71
Held at the gymnasium called Palacio Multiusos Aguas Vivas in Guadalajara, Spain
In its second of four games on a 10-day foreign tour, USF's men's basketball team fell to the Angola National Team 90-71 on Wednesday.
The Bulls held an early 8-5 lead in the game, but the much larger and older Angolan team quickly gained the lead and built a 42-33 lead at halftime.
After trailing by 22 points, a Jahmal McMurray 3-pointer brought the USF deficit to within 16 points, 63-47 with 3:19 to play in the third quarter. Competing with just eight players against a team that ranked 16th in the latest FIBA rankings, the Bulls did all they could to keep up, but lost its second exhibition game in as many days.
Nehemias Morillo (Dominican Republic) led the Bulls with 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting. McMurray scored 13 points and was 2-of-4 from 3-point range. Jaleel Cousins (Mobile, Ala.) had nine points and nine rebounds. USF shot 48 percent from the field, but had 21 turnovers.
USF will next play C.B. Vic in Barcelona, Spain on Saturday.
August 12, 2015: USF Women's Basketball 117, CREF HOLA 55
The University of South Florida women's basketball team has plenty of scoring options for the 2015-16 season, and several were on display in the Bulls' second win of the Spain trip.
USF improved to 2-0 on the trip as it dismantled CREF HOLA 117-55 on the backs of 22-point efforts from sophomore Maria Jespersen and freshman Kitija Laksa. Five Bulls scored at least 10 points as USF never trailed, using an early 15-0 run in the first quarter to jump out to a big lead and holding it throughout the game.
The Bulls shot 59.6 percent as a team, getting 8-12 shooting from Laksa, who converted three of her six 3-point attempts. Senior Courtney Williams contributed 18 of the Bulls' 117 points, while sophomore Laura Ferreira flirted with a triple-double, notching 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Senior Alisia Jenkins was the fifth Bull in double figures, posting 11 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes of work.
Jespersen converted USF's first double-double of the trip, adding 10 rebounds to her 22-point game, and sophomore Laia Flores impressed at the point guard position, dishing out nine assists and scoring nine points. Twelve Bulls saw minutes Wednesday, 11 scoring in a big win.
August 11, 2015: Venezuela National Team 68 - USF Men's Basketball 60
Held at the gymnasium called Pabellon Municipal De Daganzo in Daganzo De Arriba, Spain
Going against a mature and more experienced team, the USF men's basketball team held a fourth quarter lead against the Venezuela National Team before falling 68-60 in an exhibition on Tuesday.
It was the first of four games that USF will play in Spain as part of a 10-day foreign tour. The Bulls will face the Angola National Team on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Playing with FIBA rules against a team that most recently held a FIBA ranking of 27, USF led 50-45 at the end of the third quarter. With 6:35 remaining, Venezuela took the lead for the first time midway through the second quarter and held it until the final buzzer.
The Bulls looked great early on in the game getting several alley-oop dunks against a team with more height. One of the highlights came from one of the youngest Bulls, freshman guard Jahmal McMurray. After making 1-of-2 free throws, the Topeka, Kan., native, stole the inbounds pass at half court and made a shot just inside of the half-court line as the halftime buzzer sounded.
Fellow newcomer Roddy Peters (District Heights, Md.) led the team in scoring with 12 points including a team-high six assists and three rebounds. Senior guard Nehemias Morillo (Santiago, Dominican Republic) scored 11 points and Spain native Ruben Guerrero had 10 points. Senior center Jaleel Cousins (Mobile, Ala.) was an efficient 4-for-5 from the field to finish with eight points.
NOTABLE: The gym where both the USF men and women's team competed on Tuesday is called Pabellon Municipal De Daganzo and is about a 45 minute drive from the USF hotel in Madrid… Venezuela finished seventh at the Pan American Games in July.
August 11, 2015: USF Women's Basketball 73, C.R.E.F. 56
Held at the gymnasium called Pabellon Municipal De Daganzo in Daganzo De Arriba, Spain
A late surge in the final five minutes of the second quarter separated USF from its competition in the opening game of the summer Spain trip Tuesday, sending the Bulls to a comfortable 73-56 win over C.D. C.R.E.F. in Madrid.
Sophomore forward Maria Jespersen knocked down a 3-pointer to help spark a 14-0 run to end the first half, turning a 26-24 early lead into 40-24 at the half. It was part of a 23-3 scoring run bridged between the second and third quarters as USF held a lead of at least 15 points for the duration of the final 20 minutes in its opening game win.
Senior guard Courtney Williams scored 12 of her team-high 18 points in the second half alone, with sophomore Laura Ferreira and junior Paige Cashin also reaching double-digit points with 12 each. Ferreira scored 10 of those points in the first half.
Senior Alisia Jenkins led the team with 11 rebounds, and Cashin added six in the win.
