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USF women eliminated with loss to Louisville

 
USF’s bench looks on late in the second half as their NCAA Tournament comes to an end with a loss to Louisville.
USF’s bench looks on late in the second half as their NCAA Tournament comes to an end with a loss to Louisville.
Published March 24, 2015

TAMPA — Initially, the shots were falling from long range, equipped with high trajectories and carrying higher aspirations.

But in the waning minutes, the desperation heaves by USF's women drew little more than irony.

Their figurative shot — for Bulls immortality — had fallen just short.

The sixth-seeded Bulls (27-8) took their first lead with 5:08 left, but had as many turnovers (two) as field goals from there. The result was a 60-52 loss to former conference nemesis Louisville in an NCAA Tournament second-rounder Monday before 5,014 at the Sun Dome.

"Down the stretch, we got some good looks and didn't make some good decisions," said Bulls coach Jose Fernandez, whose club sought USF's first Sweet 16 berth, men or women. "But that doesn't take away the type of year that this team had. We had a remarkable year."

It was nearly a legendary one.

With the Cardinals (27-6), seeded No. 3 in the Albany Region, mired in foul trouble and a scoring drought of more than four minutes, Bulls junior power forward Alisia Jenkins hit a short bank shot with 5:06 to play, giving USF a 47-46 lead.

"We were thinking we had it," said Bulls junior All-America candidate Courtney Williams, who had a game-high 25 points despite a knee-to-knee collision with a Cardinals player early on. "I think our thought process was, 'Look, now we've just got to hold on, we've got to play D.' "

But Louisville, with three starters 6 feet 2 or taller, had eight of its 45 rebounds in the last 5:06, resulting in a 14-5 run to end it.

Senior guard Jude Schimmel (13 points), who sealed a four-point Cardinals win against the Bulls with two late free throws in last season's American Athletic Conference tournament semifinals, had six points in the last 1:09 to help clinch things.

The Cardinals, in their first year in the ACC, outrebounded USF 45-32, allowing just seven offensive rebounds.

"They imposed their will in the paint; that was the big difference," Fernandez said.

After missing 15 of 18 3-pointers in its opening-round romp of BYU, Louisville hit its first two Monday and its first four shots overall en route to a 12-2 lead.

The Bulls saw their pair and raised them another pair.

Freshman Laura Ferreira's consecutive 3s from the top of the key were followed by one each from Williams and Shalethia Stringfield, tying the score at 14.

Louisville led by five at halftime, but never again by double digits until the game's waning seconds. Jenkins' go-ahead basket capped a 6-0 Bulls run sparked by Williams, who had 17 second-half points.

"I would think and hope she's an All-American," Cardinals coach Jeff Walz said. "She's as good as we've played against this season."

She's one of 14 Bulls — of the 15 who suited up — slated to return. "This defeat only makes us stronger," Ferreira said.

"The toughest part is, we've got great kids in that locker room," Fernandez said. "They're great student-athletes, great in the community and I feel for 'em. It's tough."

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Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.