Bulls survive road test at Tulane
Senior guard Courtney Williams shoots a basket during Wednesday's win over Tulane. She scored a game-high 31 points.
ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
Despite 13 turnovers and a sloppy shooting performance Wednesday night, USF women’s basketball escaped New Orleans with a 71-67 victory over Tulane.
With a 57-56 lead and 2:30 left in the game, USF’s senior guard Courtney Williams stepped up and made a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired. Her shot stunned the Green Wave (12-5, 3-2) as they collectively made only 1 of their next 7 shots and relied on free throws to keep the game close.
After a set of crucial foul shots from sophomore forward Laura Ferreira stretched the lead to four with less than a minute left, USF (14-1, 4-1) proved to be too much for Tulane, heading back to Tampa with another quality conference win.
Aside from hitting a crucial shot, Williams accounted for 31 points and 13 rebounds, scoring 16 of her 31 in the fourth quarter. Williams was responsible for the first 13 points of a 15-6 USF run to start the fourth quarter.
She was also the only player on either team to play the full 40 minutes.
USF struggled to create good looks, making only 42 percent (22-53) of their shots and just 33 percent (8-24) from three-point range.
The Bulls’ safe haven came from National Freshman of the Week forward Kitija Laksa, who continued her recent hot streak. Laksa scored 15 points, with nine of those coming from her three-point shots (3-10), and grabbed three rebounds.
Senior forward Alisia Jenkins saw her first minutes in several games after sitting out with an ankle injury. Despite only playing six minutes and accounting for a single rebound, getting her back on the floor was more of an emotional lift for the Bulls.
USF will be back at home Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Sun Dome for their second meeting this season against East Carolina, who previously lost to USF 61-59 in Greenville, N.C. earlier this month.
More Stories
Here’s how these undrafted USF football players’ careers turned out
Ahead of Thursday’s NFL Draft, many players wait in anticipation to hear their names called in the first round. For some, it’s an instant ticket to stardom. But being selected on the first day of the draft isn’t the only route to a successful career. Fifteen former undrafted NFL players are enshrined in the NFL […]
Column: USF men’s basketball, thanks for the fun season
This is a personal column about assistant sports editor Noah Vinsky’s first-hand experience covering men’s basketball. Sports have always run in my blood. Growing up, ESPN was nearly on a constant loop on my living room television. I came to USF knowing I wanted to be a writer. The Oracle seemed like a great place […]
USF’s Mindy McCord builds culture of “family and love” into lacrosse
At 23 years old, a career in coaching was not what Mindy McCord had envisioned. After a stint playing for one of the top field hockey teams in Australia following a successful college playing career, she returned to America. McCord was on track to earn a master’s degree in counseling at Virginia Tech while coaching […]
USF campus ministers offer perspective on stadium development: ‘Exciting benefit of exposure.’
Take a tranquil stroll down Sycamore Drive. It’s a quieter part of campus, hidden away from the usual hustle and bustle of USF. It’s home to an area colloquially known as “Religious Row,” a collection of on-campus religious organizations. In just a few years – with the construction of an on-campus football stadium – the […]
Here’s why these USF softball players chose their jersey numbers
For athletes, the number they wear is more than the added fabric on the back of their jersey. It often tells a deeper story about the players — who they are and where they come from. Here’s why these three USF softball players chose their respective jersey numbers. Related: USF softball is gaining momentum during […]
USF football head coach Alex Golesh: The man behind the process
Football coach Alex Golesh said USF has been on his mind since his own days as a college student when the program was top five in the country. “I distinctly remember sitting there watching it and thinking ‘What is S Florida and what are they doing in the top five in the country?’” Golesh said. […]