USF’s women’s basketball team remained undefeated at 4-0 after easily dispatching Butler, 71-55, on Monday night. The Bulls had three players with double digit scoring in the win.
In the first quarter, the two teams traded the lead and finished tied at 17. A pair of layups by USF wing, Laura Ferreira, gave the Bulls their first double digit lead by midway through the second quarter. By the end of the period, USF had a 15 point lead, 40-25.
The Bulls would hold that double-digit lead throughout the third and fourth quarters of the game. They would lead by as much as 23 in the third and 20 in the fourth quarter before winning comfortably, 71-55.
Bulldog center, Tori Schikel, had a very good game in the loss, notching a double-double, with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Also scoring 18 for Butler, was guard, Whitney Jennings. Fellow guard, Kristen Spolyar, was the only other Bulldog in double digits, scoring 10. Butler drops to 3-1 on the season. They’ll see their next action in the Paradise Jam tournament, where they will face #11 West Virginia in the first round.
Ferreira and post, Tamara Henshaw, finished with 17 points apiece. Forward, Maria Jespersen, knocked down 14. As a team, the Bulls shot 45% from the field and were 7-20 from beyond the arc. They had a slight disadvantage in rebounds, 41-37, and a slight edge in points from the paint, 32-28.
Overall, USF head coach, Jose Fernandez, was happy with his team’s performance. “We took care of the ball, single digit turnovers,” he said. “The only thing we can talk about to our guys tonight is how we defended the interior and the glass.”
The Bulls will head to Estero, Florida, for their next three games. They will participate in the Gulf Coast Showcase, where they will play three games in three days. Their first opponent in the tournament will be Washington State.
