Feb. 19, 2008

Box Score

TAMPA, Fla. - A cold stretch offensively during the second half and an uncharacteristic number of turnovers spelled trouble for Villanova (15-11, 5-8 Big East) on Tuesday evening as the team dropped a 77-66 decision to USF (13-12, 3-9 Big East) at the Sun Dome. The loss ends the Wildcats three-game winning streak.

The Bulls fit runs of 9-1 and 14-2 into a larger 25-9 spurt in the decisive second half to defeat Villanova for the third time in as many meetings in the all-time series. USF trailed 45-41 after a Wildcat basket with 18:26 remaining but would eventually build a 66-54 lead with 6:29 to play. The closest Villanova got in the waning minutes was six (67-61 with 2:51 left) and the Bulls made eight free throws in the final 1:40 to seal the outcome.

Junior Lisa Karcic (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) scored a team-high 16 points to lead the Wildcats, who put all five starters in double figures and received all but eight points from the starting five. Karcic added seven rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots, while senior Stacie Witman (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) tallied 12 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Villanova couldn't find an answer to the aggressive offensive rebounding of USF, which owned a 48-34 overall edge on the glass. The Bulls used 20 offensive boards to attempt 22 more field goals than the Wildcats and maintain a 12-2 advantage in second-chance points. Villanova was also outscored 19-3 off turnovers as its 17 miscues matched the second-highest total in a game this season. USF committed a mere three turnovers, including just one in the second half.

Shantia Grace tallied 21 points and seven assists on 8-of-26 shooting to lead the Bulls, while ChiChi Okpaleke and Jazmine Sepulveda contributed 19 points apiece. Okpaleke collected 11 rebounds to notch a double-double and Porche Grant had nine points and 15 caroms. Sepulveda generated six steals with her stingy defensive play.

The evening was off to a quick start for the visitors, as the Wildcats shot 59 percent and led by as many as 15 points in the opening period. Villanova pulled out to a 25-10 advantage in the game's first eight-plus minutes and shot 7-of-9 from three-point range during that span. However, the Wildcats were just 4-of-20 from behind the arc from that point on and USF scored 27 points in the final 11:35 of the first half to pull to within 40-37 at the break.

The Wildcats first five field goals were all from three-point range and Villanova outscored the Bulls 27-9 from behind the arc in the opening 20 minutes. Junior Laura Kurz (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) and sophomores Maria Getty (Centerville, Ohio) and Tia Grant (Lido Beach, N.Y.) contributed 10 points apiece for the Wildcats, who blocked a season-high 11 shots. Redshirt freshman Shannon Elliott (Wilmington, Del.) blocked four shots in just 10 minutes, Karcic had the three rejections and Kurz blocked two shots.

Villanova will again go on the road in its next game and faces No. 13 West Virginia this Saturday at 4 p.m.

NOTES: The Wildcats are 0-3 all-time against USF and have lost all three games by at least 11 points ... Villanova had won its previous three games by an average of 11.7 points and committed just 29 turnovers total in the three games ... The Wildcats entered the contest leading the nation in fewest turnovers per game with 11.3 per contest ... Tonight's game marked the first time this season that all five Villanova starters scored in double figures ... Junior Siobhan O'Connor (West Chester, Pa.) came off the bench to add five points and five assists in 24 minutes ... Villanova assisted on 22 of 23 made field goals ... The Wildcats shot just 33 percent (10-for-30) in the second half after going 13-of-22 in the opening half ... Villanova was 2-of-14 (14.3 percent) from deep over the final 20 minutes ... Despite that the team still made at least 10 three-pointers for the fifth straight game ... The Wildcats are 63-of-147 (42.9 percent) from long range in the last five games ... Their season three-point percentage is 38.9 percent.