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USF Women’s Basketball Falls Short of Upset Bid, Loses to No. 4 Baylor 67-62

BOX. OUT.

By Nathan Bond

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Anthony Vito / The Daily Stampede

The South Florida Bulls women’s basketball team gave No. 4 Baylor Lady Bears a scare on Tuesday night inside the Yuengling Center, but too many offensive rebounds given up cost the Bulls in the 67-62 loss.

USF was outrebounded 50-37 by the Lady Bears (2-0), and 24-14 on the offensive glass which resulted in 21 second-chance points for Baylor and proved decisive late in the game. Baylor center Queen Egbo grabbed six offensive boards on her way to a dominant 25 points, 11 rebound night in which the Bulls had no answer for her.

The Bulls (1-1) did take an early six point lead in the first quarter before the Lady Bears chipped away at it, and took a 19-17 lead just before the quarter ended. Three of the four quarters ended up 19-17 in favor of Baylor, while the second quarter was 11-10 USF.

In her first game back since a knee injury in the conference opener last year forced her to miss year, Maria Alvarez wasted little time getting back into the swing of things. With the Bulls struggling to make a basket in the third quarter, the Miami native rattled off eight straight points to trim the lead from 10 to 3 just before the end of the quarter.

Alvarez finished with a team-high 18 points, and knocked down four-of-six three’s. Bethy Mununga got into the three-point fun, knocking down three three’s including two that tied the game at 50, and then 53 in the fourth quarter. She finished with 13 points, and ten rebounds before fouling out.

Even though they allowed 24 offensive rebounds, the Bulls allowed the Lady Bears to shoot just 36.8% from the field, and didn’t allow a three the entire game.

There’s plenty to clean up before Saturday’s game versus No. 6 Mississippi State like turnovers and rebounding, but the pieces are there for USF to have a very successful season.

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Notables:

  • Sydni Harvey, Elisa Pinzan, and Elena Tsineke combined to shoot 7-for-34, 3-for-17 from deep.
  • C Beatriz Jordao took a shoulder to the head in the third quarter and did not return. Her status is unknown right now.
  • After a career-high 18 points vs JU, Kristyna Brabencova struggled to find her groove as she finished with just 2 points, and five turnovers in 13 minutes.