USF's Jessica Lawson making most of final year

Fresh off winning the WNIT championship and more games than any team in school history, the USF women's basketball team entered this season with high expectations.

Looking back, Coach Jose Fernandez's stomach ailment - forcing the postponement of USF raising that WNIT banner to the Sun Dome rafters - and a loss to Florida A&M in the season opener now seem like signs of what was to come. The Bulls' loss at Marquette on Tuesday night dropped them to 13-10, matching the number of losses from a year ago.

There have been injuries, suspensions and other bumps in the road. However, with six regular-season games remaining, USF isn't without a good story.

Her name is Jessica Lawson, a 6-foot-3 center who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA in May. Lawson has made the most of her final season, leading the Big East in double-doubles with 13 after Tuesday night's 17-point, 12-rebound performance.

After leading Orlando Jones to the Class 4A state title in 2004, Lawson packed her bags and took her game out West to California, where she was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team. However, she missed the following season due to a severe knee injury, and then sat out the 2006-07 season after transferring to USF.

In her first two seasons, Lawson played a supporting role for the Bulls. In her final season, she has been USF's best player, highlighted by a career-high 33 points in Saturday's loss to Rutgers at the Sun Dome.

"She had a monster game," Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said.

"I can't say it was something I was trying to do," said Lawson, who has six consecutive double-doubles. "It is like every game is the last game for me.

"Being a senior, you want to end on a bang."

Opening with a bang

Skip Holtz's first game as USF football coach will be Sept. 4 when the Bulls host Stony Brook. If plans can be finalized, Holtz's second season opener with the Bulls will have a little more hype.

USF officials are working to open the 2011 season at Notre Dame, Holtz's alma mater and where his father, Lou, led the Fighting Irish to a national title.

Gone, not forgotten

Former USF coach Jim Leavitt was fired Jan.8, but in the latest issue of Gear Up For The Game, a quarterly fan magazine aimed at USF and Bucs fans, publisher and Bulls Heaven owner Jeffrey Neil Fox paid tribute to Leavitt with an open letter from editor Ben Keller.

"Coach Leavitt was the first football coach for the University of South Florida, and therefore his successor will have some big shoes to fill," Keller wrote. "Thank you again Coach Leavitt. You will always be a Bull in our hearts."

Meanwhile, Leavitt's attorneys and USF officials are expected to hold a mediation hearing this month concerning Leavitt's dismissal with cause and any ramifications that may have on the $7.1 million remaining on his contract when he was fired.

Bull bits

As part of his getting-to-know-the-community efforts, Holtz is dropping the puck before tonight's Bruins-Lightning game and is hosting a football alumni reception prior to USF's basketball game against St. John's on Feb. 20. ... USF launched a Twitter feed (@20in10) to promote junior G Dominique Jones for a spot on the All-American team; Jones appeared live on ESPN2 on Wednesday and was featured in a story on SportsIllustrated.com. ... ESPN.com draft analyst Todd McShay has former South Florida DE Jason Pierre-Paul going to the Bucs as the third overall pick in his latest mock draft. ... Holtz's oldest son, Trey, a 10th-grader, enrolled at Plant High this week and plans to join the football team as a quarterback when spring practice starts.