Entered USF as the most decorated recruit in the program's history and has lived up to the hype during her three seasons in the "Green and Gold" ... Proved to be one of the premier freshmen in the BIG EAST in 2005-06 and followed that up by being named second team All-BIG EAST in 2006-07 and 2007-08 ... Enters her senior season as a candidate for the Frances Pomroy Naismith Award given to the best senior guard in America under 5-8 ... Is a tough, hard-nosed player who was a major factor for the Bulls immediately on the perimeter and with the USF offense as a whole ... Has an outstanding feel for the game and can be dangerous in the transition or half court systems ... Enters the 2008-09 campaign ninth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,391 career points.
2007-08 (Junior)
Continues to be one of the premier players in the BIG EAST Conference ... Was selected All-BIG EAST second team and was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll seven times during the season ... Led the Bulls in scoring, was fourth in the league and 20th in NCAA Division I, averaging 19.1 points per game ... Became the 16th player in school history to score 1,000 career points doing so against Yale (12/30/07) ... Finished the season in the ninth spot on the career scoring ledger ... Also paced the team in assists, and was eighth in the BIG EAST in assists handing out 4.0 per outing ... Her 593 total points in 31 games during the 2007-08 season marked the third most recorded in a single campaign, and fell just seven points shy of becoming just the second player in school history to score 600 points in a season (Jessica Dickson 682 in 2005-06 and 647 in 2006-07) ... Grace finished the year on a tear scoring better than 25 points in six of the Bulls’ final 11 games and averaged 25 points per game in her last four outings including 34 points against Florida Gulf Coast (3/21/08) in USF’s Women’s National Invitation Tournament game ... Became the school's all-time leader in assists in the BIG EAST Tournament first round against Syracuse (3/8/08) - surpassing Renee Bellamy (1991-94) who was the previous leader with 429 - and finished the campaign with 435 ... Scored 20 or more points in 12 games, 25 or more in 11 outings and 30 or more in four games ... Established a new career-high with a 35-point effort against No. 25/25 DePaul in USF's 78-73 win ... Shot 47.8 percent (11-23) from the field, including 44.4 percent (4-9) from three-point range against the Blue Demons ... In addition to Depaul and Florida Gulf Coast, Grace also poured in 30 points against Yale (12/30/07) and No. 5/4 Rutgers (2/16/08) ... Was 8-15 from the floor (.533), along with an impressive 5-7 (.714) from behind the arc, and 9-10 (.900) from the charity stripe against the Scarlet Knights ... Recorded her only double-double of the season - however the sixth of her career - with a 25-point, 11-assist outing against Syracuse in the BIG EAST Tournament ... Also proved to be one of the Bulls' "Iron Women" during the year logging 40 or more minutes in 16 games including the last 10 straight ... Her 35.9 minutes played in 2007-08 was fourth in the BIG EAST.
2006-07 (Sophomore)
Turned in another solid season for the Bulls finishing second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per outing, and paced the team in the assist column handing out 4.7 assists per contest which was also good enough for second in the BIG EAST (49th in NCAA Division I) ... In addition to being a second team All-BIG EAST selection, she was also tabbed the BIG EAST Player of the Week (week ending 11/20/06), the Most Valuable Player of the Image Depot Shootout and to the All-Tournament team of the Saint Joseph's University Hawk Classic and the Best Western Roundball Classic ... Her 156 total handouts is third on the school's single season list, just one more than her 155 dished out in 2005-06 ... Moved into seventh on USF's career assist list with 311 in two seasons ... Led the team in scoring nine times last year and shared the honor - with former Bull Jessica Dickson - once ... Started the 2006-07 campaign with three straight 20-point efforts and six in her first eight games ... Scored 20 or more points in nine games on the year including a career-high 26 points against Florida International (11/30/06) ... Also tied her previous career-high of 24 points in back-to-back games against Texas Southern (11/18/06) and Georgia Southern (11/19/06) ... Was a blistering 8-12 (.667) from the field against Texas Southern including 4-5 (.800) from three-point range and 4-4 (1.000) from the free throw line ... Had 23 points against No. 19/19 Marquette (2/24/07) and was 10-19 (.526) from the field for 22 points earlier in the year against Syracuse (1/18/07) ... Recorded two double doubles with a 20-point, 11-assist effort against No. 15/15 Louisville and a 10-point, 10-rebound night against Georgetown (1/30/07) ... Recorded at least five assists in 16 games during the year and seven or more assists in eight outings ... Had nine assists in the season finale against Virginia (3/22/07) and eight assists twice against Massachusetts (11/26/06) and Pittsburgh (2/10/07).
2005-06 (Freshman)
Was thrown into the fire early with the loss of Tristen Webb to a season-ending knee injury during the preseason ... Was expected to be the first player off the bench, however ended up starting in 30 of 31 contests ... Was one of just three players - along with Jessica Dickson and Nalini Miller - to play in all 31 games, and joined Dickson as the only two Bulls on the roster to start 30 or more ... Ended the year second on the team in scoring, netting 10.4 points per game, and was tops on the team - and second in the BIG EAST - in assists, handing out 5.0 per game ... Was also third on the team in steals with 49 (1.6 spg) ... Among her fellow BIG EAST freshmen, Grace led the league in assists, was fifth in scoring and was sixth in steals ... Scored double figures in 18 games during the year and in 12 of her last 16 outings ... Her maturity was obvious as the season progressed as she averaged 8.8 points per contest in her first 15 games and 11.9 in her final 16 ... Recorded three double-doubles on the year which equals the second best on the team ... Had 11 points and 10 assists against No. 14/13 DePaul (12/7/05), 19 points and a career-high 14 hand outs against Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (12/10/05) in the first round of the San Juan Shootout and 11 points and 12 assists against Cincinnati (1/15/06) ... Came three steals shy of recording a triple-double against UPR-M with a career-high seven steals ... Tied a school single-game record for three-point field goal percentage going 5-5 (.1000) against UPR-M ... Poured in a career-high 24 points in the Bulls' BIG EAST Tournament first round game against Notre Dame (3/4/06) ... Was 7-13 (.538) from the field, including 4-5 (.800) from three-point range and 6-8 (.750) from the free throw line against the Fighting Irish to go along with five assists, four rebounds and a steal in 40 minutes of action ... Had 17 points apiece against Seton Hall (2/8/06) and USC (3/19/06) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament ... Tallied 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 40 minutes against No. 3/3 LSU (12/30/05) ... Had 16 points against Pittsburgh (2/11/06) ... Recorded a career-high nine rebounds against Florida International (1/2/06).
High School
Played four seasons at Riverview High School where she was tabbed most valuable player each year ... Was rated as one of the top 75 players in the country following her senior year by several recruiting publications ... Currently holds the career scoring record - for boys or girls - at Riverview, netting 2,446 points in her four-year scholastic career ... Attended the same high school as former USF men's standout Altron Jackson, who is the all-time leading scorer in Conference USA history and second all-time at USF (2,017 points) ... Was named the Florida Gatorade Player of the Year, the Florida 6A Player of the Year, and All-Area Player of the Year at the conclusion of her senior year ... Was a three-time 6A All-State selection (2002-05) and an honorable mention All-State 6A selection as a freshman ... Earned first team all-area ... Averaged 22 points, nine rebounds, seven steals and seven assists per game during her senior year ... She also shot an impressive 87 percent from the free throw line ... Tallied 21 points per contest as a junior.
Personal
Full name is Shantia Renee Grace ... Goes by the nickname of Tia ... Born Sept. 3, 1986, in Sarasota, FL ... Daughter of Veronica Moore ... Has one sister, Cheryl Chestnut (27) ... Is currently majoring in communications at USF ... Enjoys shopping and talking on the phone in her spare time ... Played her high school ball at Riverview for Art Larkins.
