USF women’s upset bid falls short

Posted Feb 17, 2010 by Scott Carter

Updated Feb 17, 2010 at 11:56 PM

The USF women’s basketball team nearly pulled off an improbable upset at No. 14-ranked Georgetown on Wednesday night, but the Hoyas escaped with a 54-50 win over the depleted Bulls.

USF (14-11, 5-7) had only eight players available due to a combination of injuries and suspensions.

“It was gutsy,’’ USF coach Jose Fernandez said on his postgame radio show. “I thought the eight kids played their hearts out. Our kids played spirited, they played with energy, played with effort. We were just really, really winded there at the end.’’

The Bulls led by as many as nine in the first half, but fell behind by nine in the second half before going on a 10-0 run late in the game to take a 41-40 lead. From there, it was a back-and-forth contest that Georgetown (21-4, 10-2) pulled out in the end, improving to 10-0 at home.

USF senior C Jessica Lawson had 19 points and 11 rebounds, her eighth double-double in the last nine games. With Sequoyah Griffin, Janae Stokes and Dominique English missing their second consecutive game due to suspensions, G Allyson Speed scored a career-high 20 points for the Bulls, including six 3-pointers.

“I couldn’t be prouder of this group with what they’ve been going through,’’ Fernandez said. “They’ve stayed focused and given good effort.’’

USF returns home to face No. 9-ranked West Virginia on Saturday as part of a Sun Dome doubleheader. The men host St. John’s at noon.