USF Game Notes | Central Connecticut Game Notes
TAMPA, Fla. ? Let the games begin! The University of South Florida women's basketball team opens the 2008-09 regular season on Saturday when it faces Central Connecticut in the first round of the USF Shootout at 5 p.m. in the Sun Dome. Harvard will take on Loyola (Md.) in the day's first game at 3 p.m.
“I think our kids are really excited about this weekend,” said USF head coach Jose Fernandez. “We had two exhibition games to get a good look at everyone and I think we're ready to go. It's finally here, we're excited, the game is at home to open up the season, a season that we hope is very successful. We need to make sure that we take what we have learned in the exhibition games and build on them and get better as a team every day.”
Saturday's winners will square off in the championship game on Sunday at 2 p.m., followed by the consolation game which begins at noon.
Following this weekend, the Bulls will have a quick turnaround as they get back to work on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. against instate foe Stetson.
All USF games this season can be heard on 1010 AM CBS Sports Radio with Garrett Walvoord calling the action and former USF men's standout Andrick Frazier providing color commentary. Fans can also log onto GoUSFBulls.com and select the Press Pass option for live audio and video.
For season or individual game ticket information, please call 1-800-GoBulls.
Game Information
Date: Saturday, November 15, 2008
Tipoff: 5 p.m.
Location: Tampa, FL
Arena: USF Sun Dome
Capacity: 10,411
Series: First meeting
at USF 0-0
at Central Connecticut 0-0
Radio/Internet: 1010 WQYK-AM/GoUSFBulls.com (Press Pass)
Play-by-Play: Garrett Walvoord
Color Commentary: Andrikk Frazier
Tickets: Call the USF athletic ticket office at 1-(800)-GoBulls
The University of South Florida women's basketball team kicks off the 2008-09 regular season this weekend hosting the USF Shootout on Nov. 15-16 ... The Bulls will face Central Connecticut (CCSU) on Saturday at 5 p.m. while the day will be kicked off with Harvard and Loyola (MD) at 3 p.m. ... The winners will meet at 2 p.m. on Sunday following the consolation match up which will tip-off at noon ... Both games this weekend - and all games this season - can be heard live on 1010 AM - CBS Sports Radio with Garrett Walvoord calling the action and former USF men's standout Andrikk Frazier providing color commentary ... In addition, fans can follow the action via the world wide web by logging onto GoUSFBulls.com and selecting the Press Pass option to get live audio and video streaming ... Saturday's games between USF and CCSU, and Harvard and Loyola marks the season opener for all four schools ... Saturday also marks the Bulls' 37th season of collegiate competition and their fourth as a member of the BIG EAST Conference ... The game against the Blue Devils is the fourth straight year that USF has kicked off the beginning of the season at home, however just the fourth time in the past 10 years that it has started the season on its home floor ... It also marks the third time in the past five that the Bulls have begun a campaign with a tournament ... Opening the 2004-05 season, USF faced Middle Tennessee State (W, 70-62 on Nov. 12) and No. 6/6 Duke (L, 82-50 on Nov. 14) in the Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament and then kicked off the 2005-06 season with wins over Texas-Arlington (74-50 on Nov. 19) and Tennessee-Martin (78-44 on Nov. 20) in the Image Depot Shootout in the Sun Dome ... Central Connecticut is the first of three games that the Bulls will play in a four-day stretch - they will host Stetson on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. - and the first of four games that USF will play at home before heading out on its first road trip of the season (Nov. 27-29 at the Paradise Jam, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands) ... In addition to the Paradise Jam, the Bulls will only play four games away from the Sun Dome during the non-conference portion of the schedule ... They will also travel to New Orleans, LA to face former Conference USA bretheren Tulane on Dec. 30 ... The Bulls are 7-2 in their season openers over the past nine years and have won their last five ... USF boasts an impressive 47-18 record against regular season non-conference opponents over the past five years and is 33-5 at home.
Scouting Central Connecticut
Central Connecticut opens the 2008-09 campaign with hopes of optimism after turning in a 4-25 record last season and a 3-15 mark in the Northeast Conference ... The Blue Devils return four of their five top scorers from last season and two of their top three rebounders ... CCSU has been picked to finish 11th in the NEC in this year's preseason coaches poll.
Kerrianne Dugan returns after leading the Blus Devils in scoring in 2007-08 netting 10 points per game ... She was also tied for second on the team in rebounding grabbing 6.1 per outing ... PJ Wade found herself just outside of double digits in the scoring column averaging 9.9 points per outing ... She, like Dugan, grabbed 6.1 rebounds per contest last year.
The series vs. the Blue devils
Saturday's game will be the first-ever meeting between USF and Central Connecticut.
USF vs. the Northeast Conference
USF currently holds a 8-0 record against team's that are currently in the Northeast Conference ... The Bulls last faced an NEC school when they defeated St. Francis (NY) 94-61 on Nov. 25, 2006 in the first round of the USF Best Western Roundball Classic ... Including this year, the Bulls have played at least one opponent from the Northeast Conference in four of the past five season's.
The Bulls have faced Wagner College the most out of all the NEC schools, having taken on the Seahawks three times (3-0).
A look at Harvard
Harvard comes into this season as the class of the Ivy League ... The Crimson were picked by the league's coaches to finish first in the conference after posting a 18-11 record in 2007-08 and an 11-3 mark in conference play ... The Crimson finished the year winning 11 of their last 14 games, however dropped their first game in the Ivy League Tournament, 68-62, to Dartmouth.
The Crimson returns two of it's three double figure scorers from last year including leading scorer Katie Rollins who averaged 11.4 points per game ... Rollins is also the team's top reeturning rebounder grabbing 4.4 last year ... Also back is Emily Tay who netted 10.8 points per outing.
A meeting with Harvard would be the first for both schools.
A look at Loyola (Md.)
Loyola turned in a 13-17 record last year and a 7-11 mark in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) ... The Greyhounds are picked to finish fifth out of the 10-team MAAC.
Loyola took advantage of a 10-day Italian tour in August to get some extra time on the hardwood ... The Greyhounds recorded a 3-1 record defeating three Italian League team's and dropping it's lone game to the Swiss National Team.
Siobhan Prior and Candice Walker are Loyola's two top returning scorers having averaged 8.2 points per game last year ... Kaitlin Grant is the Greyhounds top returner on the boards grabbing 4.4 rebounds per contest in 2007-08.
USF and Loyola have never met.
USF goes 2-0 during preseason
USF comes into this weekend's tournament after posting a 2-0 record in it's two exhibition game of the preseason this year ... The Bulls defeated the Miami Sun, 91-67 on Nov. 1 and then handed DT3 one of it's two losses with an 81-55 setback on Nov. 5.
Brittany Denson led five players in double figures with 15 points and rounded out her double-double with 11 rebounds with the Bulls' win over the Miami Sun ... Janae Stokes chipped in 13 points while freshman Jasmine Wynne added 12 in the win ... Shantia Grace and Alexis Givands each had 11 points apiece ... Porche Grant added 11 rebounds joining Denson with top honors on the boards ... USF shot 49.3 percent (33-67) while the Sun hit just 35.9 percent (23-64) of their shots from the floor and 22.2 percent (4-18) from behind the three-point arc.
Jazmine Sepulveda got back on track after a rough outing against the Miami Sun after netting just nine points ... The Brooklyn native scored a game-high 18 points on 6-10 shooting from the field, including 3-5 from behind the three-point arc, and a perfect 3-3 from the free throw line ... Shantia Grace and Melissa Dalembert also ended up in double figures netting 13 and 12 pointts respectively.
USF shot 42.9 percent (30-70) from the field in the win while DT3 hit just 29.6 percent (16-54) ... The Bulls also rebounded DT3 54-40 on the night.
Just for Openers
USF is 22-14 all-time in season openers during the previous 36 years of competition ... In addition,
the Bulls are 8-2 in lidlifters over the past 10 years, 12-3 over the past 15 seasons and 15-
5 in the first game of the season during the past 20 years.
USF's Head Coach Jose Fernandez enters his ninth season with a 6-2 slate in his previous eight season openers ... He has also won the last five straight.
The Bulls look for their sixth straight season opening win which would mark the longest stretch of season opening victories in the program's history ... USF has won five straight from the 1991-92 season to the 1995-96 campaign, and the current streak which began in the 2003-04 season.
USF picked to finish 12th in preseason BIG EAST poll
USF was selected to finish 12th in the preseason BIG EAST Conference poll at the league's annual media day in New York City ... Connecticut was tabbed first in the poll followed by Rutgers and Louisville who were second and third respectively ... Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Marquette, DePaul, West Virginia and Villanova rounded out the top 10 ... The rest of the poll is as follows: 11. Georgetown, 12. USF, 13. St. John's, 14. Seton Hall, 15. Cincinnati, 16. Providence.
Grace tabbed preseason All-BIG EAST
USF standout Shantia Grace was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Conference Team as voted on by the league's head coaches ... Grace earned the honor after being named second team All-BIG EAST at the conclusion of the 2007-08 season ... Last year she averaged 19.1 points, which was ranked 20th in the nation, and 4.0 assists per game ... In addition to her BIG EAST accolades, the Sarasota native is also considered a candidate for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award given to the best women's basketball player in the nation under 5-6.
Fernandez etches his name in usf's record book
To say that being the head women's basketball coach at USF has been a work in progress is certainly an understatement ... Jose Fernandez comes into the 2008-09 season with a 116-123 career coaching record ... The Miami native reached the mark despite having to include a 4-24 campaign in his first year at USF (2000-01).
To say that being the head women's basketball coach at USF has been a work in progress is certainly an understatement ... Jose Fernandez comes into the 2008-09 season with a 116-123 career coaching record ... Fernandez, however, has really left his mark on the program with what he has done over the past five seasons ... Fernandez has led the Bulls to five-straight postseason appearances - the WNIT in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, and the NCAA in 2006 - all while posting a 91-66 record since 2003-04.
Against Vermont on Dec. 28, 2006, Fernandez became USF's all-time leader in career wins surpassing former head coach - and former general manager of the now defunct Charlotte Sting of the WNBA - Trudi Lacey (1988-96) who held the top spot with 88 career wins.
Fernandez surpassed Lacey, who held the mark since 1996, accomplishing the feat in his 186th game, while Lacy took 215-out-of-219 for 88.
Dome Sweet Dome
USF has dominated its opposition on its home floor and have continued the trend, at least through the non-conference portion of the 2007-08 schedule ... The Bulls have turned in an impressive 51-14 overall record and a 30-5 mark in non-conference games on their home turf dating back to the 2004-05 season ... In addition, USF is 55-14 in the Sun Dome since defeating No. 18 TCU, 89-84, in double overtime on Feb. 2, 2004, unquestionably the defining game that has led to the Bulls' success over the last five years, and 36-12 on their home turf since the beginning of the 2005-06 season.
USF is 15-9 in BIG EAST games at home - since joining the conference for the 2005-06 season - and 20-10 in league games dating back to the 2004-05 campaign.
