Bulls nearly upset No. 9 Kentucky at Paradise Jam
Courtney Williams. ORACLE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
The soft sand and warm beaches of the U.S. Virgin Islands were kind to USF (5-2), and the women’s basketball team was able to beat both Oklahoma (5-2) and Illinois (6-2) in the Paradise Jam Basketball Tournament.
However, the team fell short against No. 9 Kentucky on Saturday.
USF faced its toughest test of the tournament when it played Kentucky (6-1) for the tournament championship.
The Bulls held a 21-12 lead after the first 10 minutes, but had their lead cut to three by halftime. USF held on for the better part of the second half, but Kentucky began to target the Bulls down low in the paint.
The Wildcats took command with 6:25 left, thanks to a strong defensive effort on the perimeter. USF fell short in shooting with seven straight shots missing the mark, and Kentucky took advantage to get a four-point lead.
With 33 seconds left, the Wildcats made a layup and the Bulls couldn’t get their shot on the other end to go down. Kentucky escaped with a 61-57 win over USF.
Junior guard Courtney Williams had 23 points and five rebounds in a game where she was the only USF player to score double-digits. The team had six total assists, which tied their lowest effort of the season. Junior forward Shavontae Naylor led the team in rebounding with six off the bench.
Even with the loss, the Bulls head back to Tampa having nearly pulled off the tournament sweep. Two wins against previously undefeated teams in Oklahoma and Illinois will help the Bulls’ RPI and postseason hopes.
The Bulls return home to take on Stetson in the Sun Dome on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
More Stories
OPINION: USF coaches need to be more than game-day leaders
In his first year at USF, baseball head coach Mitch Hannahs brought an old-school approach to the program. He stayed off social media and had minimal interactions with fans, except during press conferences and games. And toward the end of the season, Hannahs began to decline interviews with The Oracle — both for himself and […]
USF prepares for more scholarships, revenue opportunities after NIL settlement
As universities began directly paying athletes on Tuesday as part of the House v. NCAA settlement, increased scholarships and revenue opportunities will become the norm under the landmark NIL ruling. Former USF Athletic Director Michael Kelly told The Oracle that the settlement also paves the way for another opportunity for USF to be invited to […]
USF’s Fowler Avenue ‘isn’t going anywhere’ despite NIL changes
Corey Staniscia didn’t need a court ruling to see where college sports were headed. Long before a federal judge approved the House v. NCAA settlement on June 6, Staniscia saw what was coming — a future where schools, not just collectives, could pay athletes directly. So, as the CEO and co-founder of the Fowler Avenue […]
USF support program helps international student-athletes thrive
For Mathis Haugen, a USF international student-athlete from Norway, his journey started with a leap of faith. Haugen said he planned to take a gap year after high school and then apply to college. But when USF recruited him in fall 2021, everything changed. Now a senior, the men’s soccer defender had never visited the […]
USF men’s basketball rounds up roster with latest commits
USF men’s basketball officially has a full house, finalizing its revamped roster with all 15 scholarship spots now filled. New head coach Bryan Hodgson has wasted no time building a new roster. After Hodgson was hired in March, he began his tenure by securing three high school recruits and five players out of the transfer […]
USF beach volleyball balances summer training away from campus
In the summertime, while some USF students are having fun in the sun, athletes don’t stop their training. USF beach volleyball players Morgan Anderson and Sasha Pasloski know all too well what goes into a Division I athlete’s summer routine. Although the Bulls won’t play their inaugural season until the spring, they have been preparing […]