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USF Women Pull Out Another Win

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By BRETT McMURPHY, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 2, 2007

TAMPA - University of South Florida women's basketball coach Jose Fernandez said the Bulls still aren't playing their best - in fact he doesn't know if they can play any worse - but they did just enough Saturday to pull out another win.

USF junior center Jessica Lawson had 25 points and 14 rebounds, both career highs, as the Bulls pulled away for a 66-58 victory against Saint Peter's College at the Sun Dome.

"It's a good thing we can't be playing any worse and we're 5-2," Fernandez said. "This is a team, we need to continue getting better every practice, every game."
Sophomore point guard Shantia Grace added 17 points and senior forward ChiChi Okpaleke had 17 points and five steals.
Freshman guard Gianna Messina nearly picked up her first career double-double the hard way with nine assists and eight rebounds.

With four minutes remaining, USF only led 57-54, but closed the contest on a 9-4 run for the victory.

"We can play a lot faster and with a lot more energy on the defensive end," Grace said.

The Peahens, of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, had won four of their past six meetings against Big East teams and appeared on their way to knocking off another Big East club.

USF trailed 29-25 at halftime, but caught the Peahens early in the second half. The lead changed several times until Lawson's basket inside gave USF the lead for good, 46-44, with 10:49 remaining.

"We got the ball inside to Jessica and ChiChi and let them go to work inside," Fernandez said. "We ended up with an eight-point game because we didn't do a lot of things we needed to do."

The Bulls remain home Wednesday against North Florida.

"We need to get better and we will," Fernandez said. "They know what's ahead, once Big East play starts."

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