Bulls to Face Grambling State in Doubleheader with Men’s Basketball
Matchup: RV/RV USF Bulls (7-2) vs. Grambling State Tigers (1-6)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018
Time: 3:30p.m. ET
Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Fla.
Radio: Bulls Unlimited (Darek Sharp & Brigid Merenda)
Live Stats: GoUSFBulls.com
Twitter Updates:@USFWBB
TAMPA, Fla. Dec. 13, 2018 – USF women's basketball will close a long stretch of rest and begin four games in six days when the Bulls host Grambling State on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 3:30 p.m. in a doubleheader with USF men's basketball.
After the men face Appalachian State at 1 p.m., USF women's basketball (receiving votes) will take on the Tigers in the Yuengling Center for its third consecutive home game. The contest against the Tigers (1-6) kickstarts four games in six days, as USF will then host Vermont on Monday, before traveling to the Florida Sunshine Classic to face Creighton (Dec. 20) and Virginia (Dec. 21) in Orlando.
USF (7-2) is receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today top-25 polls and is on a three-game winning streak, topping George Washington 63-30 last weekend. In the middle of a much-needed four-game homestand, USF is coming off of a defensive showout when it held George Washington to just 30 points and four single-digit scoring quarters. It marked the first time in the quarter era that the Bulls held an opponent to single digit scoring in every quarter, let alone an opponent that qualified to the first round of the NCAA tournament just one year ago. It also marked the first time since Dec. 19, 2005 that USF held an opponent to 30 points or less.
In the victory, freshman
Beatriz Jordao (Pombal, Portugal) dished out 14 points, four rebounds and four assists in just 17 minutes of action against the Colonials. She was named The American Freshman of the Week for her game-leading performance, and is the first player in the league to receive a second weekly honor this season.
Three Bulls are averaging in double figures on the season, led by
Laura Ferreira (Lisboa, Portugal) with 16.3 points per game, while freshman
Sydni Harvey is adding 13.3 points per game and Jordao is contributing 12.7 points per game.
Alyssa Rader (Thornton, Colo.) leads USF on the boards with 8.4 rebounds per game.
Sharp Shooter
Jordao is a presence in the paint for the Bulls and is an expert in getting to the rim, she owns a conference-leading 68.9 percent field goal effiency. The freshman's shooting efficiency comes on a 51-of-74 clip and is ranked seventh nationally.
Boards for the Bulls
Rebounding has been the secret weapon for the Bulls, who are out-performing opponents on the boards by 13.7 per game, good enough for sixth nationally.
Freshmen on Fire
Harvey and Jordao are proving to bookend the Bulls nicely through eight games in the green and gold. The point guard and the center are combining for an average of 26
.0 points per game. Both players have played and started in all nine contests, and are two of just three Bulls to do so. Both have been named The American Freshman of the Week within the first three weeks of the season with Jordao earning the honor a second time, and both have led the Bulls in scoring this season.
The Opponent
Grambling State (1-6) is on a five-game skid, falling to AAC opponent Wichita State on Tuesday, 61-70. The Tigers are rounding out six straight true road games with USF, before traveling to the Puerto Rico Classic for three games, and then facing three more true road opponents. GSU has played just one game at home for its lone victory of the season, topping McNeese State 75-51 on Nov. 9.
GSU earned the 2018 SWAC Tournament crown to garner a bid to the first round of the NCAA Tournament one year ago. The Tigers are led by Freddie Murray in his third year at the helm. In his first year with Grambling State, he led the Tigers to a WNIT first round win in 2016-17, marking the first time a SWAC team earned a postseason win.
Shakyla Hill, a senior guard from Little Rock, Ark., paces the Tigers in every stats category: points with 15.7 per game, rebounds with 6.6 per game, steals with 4.4 per game and blocks for 4.7 per game. Hill was named to the Ann Myers Drysdale Watchlist alongside injured Bull
Kitija Laksa. She has recorded a quadruple double in her career.
Notable
- Beatriz Jordao is The American Freshman of the Week after earning 14 points, four rebounds and four blocks in 17 minutes in Sunday's 63-30 victory over George Washington.
- Laura Ferreira is USF's leading scorer this season with 16.0 points per game, boosted by her 34-point game over Oklahoma, which leads The American for a single-game point total by an individual.
- Beatriz Jordao leads the American Athletic Conference in field goal percentage with 68.9 percent, which is good enough for seventh nationally.
- Rebounding is a key for USF, who is out-performing opponents on the boards by 13.7, a good enough margin for seventh nationally.
- USF is in the midst of a four-game homestand, beginning with New Hampshire on Nov. 30 (W, 79-36), George Washington on Dec. 9 (W 63-20), Grambling State on Dec. 15, and Vermont on Dec. 17.
- This is the second meeting in the all-time series between Grambling State and USF. The Bullls came away with the 126-62 win in 2008.
Family Day at the Yuengling Center
There will be a bounced house at Gate A and face painting until tip-off. There will also be a sign-making station. Youth 12 and under receive free admission. If fans hold a ticket for either game, they may come early or stay late to enjoy the other game and complimentary tickets to the other game will be available for pickup at guest services.
Follow the Action
Fans can follow the action with live radio on Bulls Unlimited and AM 1040 with
Darek Sharp on the call and Brigid Merenda adding color. Live stats will also be available on GoUSFBulls.com.
About USF Women's Basketball
To stay up-to-date on the latest USF women's basketball news, follow the Bulls on social media (
Twitter |
Facebook |
Instagram).
USF notched its sixth consecutive 20-win season and fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017-18. It marked the ninth 20-win season in program history, with head coach Jose Fernandez at the helm for all nine. The Bulls posted 26 wins in 2017-18, just shy of the program record of 27 set in 2008-09 and 2014-15.
USF has made 14 postseason tournament appearances and had six NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez's 18 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to nine 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 300 games.
--#GoBulls –
